Goal Setting for Students

and Teachers
Six Steps to Success

LAURA A. RADER

S uccessful people always have had clear, focused

goals that guide them to greatness. For example, it
took Thomas Edison thousands of attempts and thou-
(Brooks 1999). They also need opportunities suited to
their developmental levels and interests to which they
can apply and develop these skills, especially in those
sands of failures throughout many years to invent the situations that affect their lives. Through goal setting,
electric light bulb. But he knew exactly what he wanted, teachers have many opportunities to reinforce problem-
and his goal kept him going until he achieved it. solving and decision-making skills. Goal setting requires
Michelle Kwan had a goal to be the best figure skater in assessment and problem-solving skills as well as appli-
the world, and Oprah Winfrey was an abused child cation and organization. Students are active in the
who was determined to make a better life for herself process, developing original thinking, lateral thoughts,
(Humbert 2003). And yet, the great bulk of people con- personal independence, and responsibility.
tinue to drift through life with no goals at all, or with Schools are labeling record numbers of students as
only vague dreams, hopes, and wishes. attention deficit disordered (ADD), because those stu-
Our education system focuses on filling students’ dents are unable to focus, and yet the schools spend vir-
heads with the “what” of learning—data, facts, and fig- tually no time teaching those students how to focus.
ures—and as a result, the student may become passive. Because goal setting is a crucial skill for success, it needs
However, theories of self-esteem and motivation as well to be introduced.
as research about resilience emphasize the importance When students write down their goals, they are
of reinforcing the belief that students have some con- forced to examine themselves and see their own
trol over what is occurring in their lives. Self-esteem is dreams. This is important because, ultimately, reflecting
the feelings that students possess about their compe- on why they hope to achieve their goals, rather than
tencies and abilities to have a positive effect, to con- simply knowing what their goals are, is what motivates
front rather than flee from challenges, to learn from them to pursue their life ambitions.
both success and failure, and to treat themselves and As a teacher, having both a clear sense of your own
others with dignity (Brooks 1992, 1994). Self-esteem goals and the reasons behind them is critical to providing
directs and motivates behavior and, in turn, the out- direction to successful instruction. This knowledge does
come of these behaviors affects self-esteem so that a several things. First, it allows teacher’s day-to-day living
dynamic reciprocal process is continuously in force, and instruction to take more direction and meaning. Sec-
playing a significant role in determining whether or not ond, it helps the teacher realize that what he or she may
children will become resilient (Brooks 1992, 1994). consider fantastic achievements are of little meaning if
To develop this sense of control, ownership, and they are not of tremendous personal importance to the
autonomy, students require opportunities to learn the students. Having this strong understanding of students’
skills necessary to make sound choices, evaluate deci- goals keeps the teacher effective even when there are
sions, and solve problems. People possess at least one obstacles. With this understanding, a more open class-
small “island of competence,” one area that is or has the room forms. Students are more likely to thrive in envi-
potential to be a source of pride and accomplishment ronments in which they feel comfortable, accepted, and

As an assistant professor at the State University of New York at Old Westbury,

Laura A. Rader’s current interests include self-determination and how it relates to
special and general education policies and instructional practices.

123
124 The Clearing House January/February 2005

valued (Strahan 1989). Being able to showcase students’ 2. Decide a time when your goal will be achieved. Setting
talents and have them valued by important people in a date for the attainment of a goal is the ignition for the
their lives help define their identities (Katz 1994). Last, goal-seeking missile in students’ minds. Students need
watching students achieve personal success can lead the to set a realistic date—not so soon that it is impossible,
teacher to his or her greatest achievements. From this but not so far away that it is difficult to maintain inter-
understanding, tremendous relationships can develop est. Students should write down the date under their
between the teacher and students that ensures that both goals and adhere to it. This concept can be taught using
the teacher and the student fully savor the joy of those “timed activities.” For example, cooking timers can be
achievements. The power of students to control their used to encourage students to complete activities in a
own futures is truly amazing to a teacher. set time frame.
Students and teachers who want to learn more about
setting and achieving goals are in luck. A powerful set 3. Develop a plan to achieve your goal. Students should
of principles exists that has worked to help guide at- make a list of things that may threaten the successful
risk, special education, and regular education students achievement of their goals and what they can do to
on the goal-setting journey. remove those threats. This is an integral part of the
goal-setting process, because it takes the daunting
The Six Steps to Success obstacles and reduces them to a manageable size. Once
the obstacles are clearly defined, they often are more
1. Choose a specific goal and write it down. Students
easily solved. This step is particularly important for
should be taught that there are many different kinds of
special education students because it helps them break
goals. They need to learn about academic goals (improv-
tasks into more manageable parts. This also helps stu-
ing math, reading, and writing skills), financial goals
dents feel a greater sense of ownership for their goals,
(saving for a bike), physical goals (increasing the
increasing their motivation and chances of success.
amount of exercise), and good-deed goals (making cards
After students have identified the obstacles, they
for the sick). They also learn about the ideas of long- and
make a list of the things that they need to achieve their
short-term goals. They learn that a long-term goal is
goals. This list should include the people whose coop-
something they want to accomplish for the entire school
eration can help them work toward their goals. Stu-
year and that a short-term goal is something they want
dents should be encouraged to put together a team of
to accomplish on a weekly or monthly basis.
parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, teachers, and friends
After they learn about the different kinds of goals,
that can help them achieve their goals. Other items on
students should make a list of all of the goals that they
this list may include resources that help them solve or
think they want to achieve. Students should write down
overcome the problems that they identified earlier.
all thoughts without interruption and in a quiet place,
Students should review their goals daily and use
being careful not to judge or dismiss any of their ideas.
monthly planners to chart their progress. Each time
After they have this long list of goals written down,
they see this monthly planner, they will be program-
they should put the list away for a few days. Some of
ming their minds to take action toward their goal. The
the things that they write down may energize their
following activities can help students stay on track:
minds. Then, they should review their list about a week
later to determine which goals still interest them. Any- • Have groups of students talk about their goals and
thing that they do not feel strongly about is removed how they plan on achieving them.
from the list. Goal setting does not work if students are • Play a “Jeopardy” game that asks students about
not motivated to achieve the goal, which explains why what they have learned about goal setting.
they are asked to accurately name their goals. • When working on class goals, vote as a group to
Students should then choose one of the goals from determine the most important goals to pursue.
the list and record it on a goal setting form. The fol-
lowing is a list of activities that may be used to teach 4. Visualize yourself accomplishing your goal. The
the concept of goal setting: power of visualization is a reliable technique that
helps students achieve their goals. Visualization sends
• Bring in pictures that represent goal achievement. a picture of their desires to their subconscious minds.
• Have a goal-of-the-day and goal-of-the-week contest Students first should learn that the subconscious does
as a class and as individuals. not know the difference between reality and fiction. It
• Establish a group or team goal by identifying an simply creates reality based on an image in their
activity, such as reading ten books. minds. Thus, if students visualize themselves as happy
• Make an effort to learn a new word a day. and successful, then this is the reality that their sub-
• Plan on reading one new book a week and dis- conscious mind creates. To accomplish this, students
cussing it. are taught to create a movie in their minds. They
• Have students meet one new person each week. become the star of their movies. Each scene represents
Vol. 78, No. 3 Goal Setting 125

them obtaining their goals. To help them visualize, to identify effective practices through a careful investi-
students can draw pictures of themselves achieving gation of their own experiences.
their goals. Students also can cut pictures out of mag- During this step, students receive a self-evaluation
azines to illustrate their movies. Students of all ages form to complete. Students who achieved their goals
have the ability to relate to the movies, making this should take on the challenge again with new goals.
step quite enjoyable for them. Students who did not achieve their goals should
change their courses of action and continue with the
5. Work hard and never give up. When discussing the
original goals. However, the teacher should recognize
need for a person to feel successful, it is important to
all students for their achievements, even if they do not
emphasize that all students require positive feedback
meet their goal. Some activities that the teacher may
and encouragement from the significant adults in their
use to celebrate accomplishments are:
lives. However, encouragement should never be con-
fused with giving false praise. Students know when • Announce student goals over the loudspeaker to the
they receive undeserved positive evaluations. Positive whole school.
feedback must be rooted in actual accomplishment • Reward students with food treats and certificates.
and success, which requires the teacher to provide • Invite other classes to learn about goal setting from
opportunities for students in areas that they feel are the students.
important. • Have an evening of celebration with parents and rel-
The teacher needs to set aside time daily so stu- atives.
dents can mark their progress on their monthly plan- • Ask the school principal to announce student
ners. This is a particularly critical component that achievements during lunch.
helps at-risk and special education students focus • Send personalized letters to the students recognizing
and remain goal directed. When they see what they their achievements.
are accomplishing, students often feel an enhanced
sense of self-worth and self-esteem. Teachers can use Conclusion
the following suggested activities to maintain stu- Faced on a daily basis with at-risk students, special
dents’ motivation: education students, and general education students
who lack focus and direction, teachers can too easily
• Provide e-mail motivational tips to students. focus only on pathology and risk factors rather than on
• Have students e-mail their achievements to pen pals strategies to help students. Teaching goal setting is a
or other classes. clearly defined method for redirecting the teaching pat-
• Focus on goal achievement by talking about previ- terns to guide students toward a more constructive
ous accomplishments. path in life. Motivation increases when students gen-
• Motivate students with inspirational stories of goals uinely feel that they control what occurs in their lives
that the teacher has achieved. (Dicintio and Gee 1999).
• Decorate the classroom with inspirational banners This program is unique because all students (regular,
and posters. special education, and at-risk) can and do benefit from
• Have students watch movies about successful people. learning the process. The six steps to success are easy to
remember and simple to teach because they do not
6. Self-evaluate. Self-evaluation refers to students’
require extra paperwork or additional preparation by
abilities to observe and assess their own behaviors and
the teachers. Students remain in control throughout
is an essential element in fostering continual growth in
the process, allowing the teacher to observe, assess, and
students. During this reflective process, students
evaluate student progress.
observe their actions, assess their progress, and propose
Schools should provide angry, resistant, or alienated
alternative models to help them achieve their goals.
youngsters with experiences that enhance their self-
This careful self-analysis also allows the teacher to bet-
esteem and competence, lessen their sadness and bit-
ter identify components of student practices that are
terness, and strengthen their resilience and hope (Cur-
effective in helping them succeed and areas in which
win 1992; Goldstein 1995; Segal 1988). As teachers, we
students need further improvement.
must remember that we have one of the greatest privi-
This reflective process is based on Dewey’s theoreti-
leges there is—namely, the privilege of having an effect
cal perspective on critical inquiry and how it relates to
on the lives of developing students. Having this privi-
practice. Even from a postmodern deconstructive sensi-
lege, we must always ask, “Are we using it in the most
bility, Dewey’s definition of critical inquiry as “extract-
effective way?” By teaching goal setting, teachers assure
ing at each present time the full meaning of each pre-
that students have the skills necessary to achieve their
sent experience” (Dewey 1938), wherever it may lead
greatest successes.
and however pluralistic such meanings may be, still
holds true. Thus, such critical inquiry allows students Key words: achievement, goal setting, motivation
126 The Clearing House January/February 2005

NOTE Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.

Dewey, J. 1938. Experience and education. New York: Collier.
For additional help in the goal-setting process, more information
Dicintio, M. J., and S. Gee. 1999. Control is the key: Unlocking the
is available on the Internet at http://www.goalmaker.com/.
motivation of at-risk students. Psychology in the Schools 36 (3):
231–37.
REFERENCES
Goldstein, S. 1995. Understanding and managing children’s classroom
Brooks, R. B. 1992. Self-esteem during the school years: Its normal Behavior. New York: Wiley.
development and hazardous decline. Pediatric Clinics of North Humbert, P. 2003. The four steps to successful goal setting.
America 39, no. 3 (June): 537–50. http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Humber2html.
———. 1994. Children at risk: Fostering resilience and hope. Ameri- Katz, M. 1994. From challenged childhood to achieving adulthood:
can Journal of Orthopsychiatry 64, no. 4 (October): 266–78. Studies in resilience. Chadder (May): 8–11.
———. 1999. Creating a positive school climate: Strategies for Segal, J. 1988. Teachers have enormous power in affecting a child’s
fostering self-esteem, motivation, and resilience. In Educating minds self-esteem. Brown University Child Behavior and Development
and hearts: Social emotional learning and the passage into adolescence, Newsletter 4 (10): 1–3.
ed. J. Cohen, 61–73. New York: Columbia Teachers College Press. Strahan, D. 1989. Disconnected and disruptive students. Middle
Curwin, R. L. 1992. Rediscovering hope: Our greatest teaching strategy. School Journal 21 (3): 1–5.

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