3 Qualities of Student Goal Setting

The following post was also published on The Thrivapy Blog

Students who set goals have the advantage of knowing what they want to accomplish, which usually includes a clear vision of success. However, simply setting goals is often not enough. Students need help with setting appropriate goals and aligning those goals with an action plan on which they can follow through. Therefore, it is very helpful to provide useful guidance to students about setting goals.

In Thrivapy, I spend quite a bit of time helping students set goals. Once set, we use those goals to evaluate progress and as a foundation for the student's developing vision of success.

This post identifies 3 qualities I look for in good student goals.

1. The goal is challenging.

A challenging goal is one that requires some higher level of focus, concentration, and effort.

2. The goal is specific.

A specific goal can be measured in some way to check for progress.

3. The goal is flexible.

A flexible goal can be adjusted without changing the essence of the overall achievement. For example, the goal if hitting safely one time in a baseball game can be adjusted to two safe hits if you accomplish the goal on your first at bat.

Looking for more help on student goal setting? Check out this presentation I recently gave to a group of teachers.