Goal Getter

See how it works

At a glance

Time in class

None. 10 minutes of planning time.

Prep

None

Materials

A calendar

Grouping

Teacher (optional: one colleague)

Use it when

Start of a quarter, or after a lesson that didn’t go the way you wanted

Why it works

Specific goals with a deadline improve performance far more than “do your best,” and tracking progress keeps them alive. Choosing just one keeps it realistic in a busy week.

1. Pick one focus2 minutesAsk: “What one change would most help my students right now?”
2. Write it3 minutesUse: “By [date], I will [action] [how often].” Example: “By December 1, I will use a whiteboard check three times a week.”
3. Calendar it2 minutesAdd a 2-minute weekly check-in to your calendar.
4. TrackWeekly, 2 minutesTally how often you did it and one thing you noticed in student work.
5. Close itOn the dateMet it? Make it a habit and pick a new goal. Not yet? Shrink it.

See it in action

Watch out for

• Goals you can’t count: “be more engaging” becomes “use one partner-talk move per lesson.”
• Too many goals: one at a time.
• No check-in: the calendar reminder is what makes it happen.

Level up

• Tell a colleague and ask them to check on you.
• Pull a card from this deck to choose your goal.

Make it work for everyone

• Choose goals that help the students who are hardest to reach.

Tech option

A recurring calendar reminder and a one-line note each week.

Resources