Setting Realistic Goals for Teachers

It's my favorite time of the school year with fresh, new school supplies and all the possibilities of what can happen! As teachers, setting realistic goals for back to school is a guaranteed way to help start your year off right. In this post, we’ll explore how to choose goals that support your professional growth and personal well-being, and how to make them stick for the entire school year.

Why Teachers Struggle with Goals

Teachers are master planners. But we’re also pulled in a hundred directions every day. Even with the best intentions, many of us don’t follow through with our goals because:

• We don’t write them down
• They aren’t realistic for our schedule
• We forget them in the rush of daily tasks
• They require daily perfection

By shifting our focus to realistic goals for teachers, we can reduce burnout and create meaningful progress without the stress.

I know that every year I make some goals, but I fall into the habit of not following through. I don't write them down, I don't remind myself of them, and I just get so busy with the other things happening throughout the school year that I forget the intentionality that I had before you started. So I do not want that for you. Let's create goals this year that we will smash!

Step 1: Reflect on Last Year

I start by brainstorming a list of what I want to achieve this coming school year. While I'm creating my list, I'm thinking about the previous year and what worked well and what I want to change. I'm also reflecting on my evaluation and if there were areas I need to improve.

Related Post: Writing Instruction Reflections to Improve Next Year

Ask yourself:

• What routines or systems worked well?

• Where did I struggle to stay consistent?

• What feedback did I receive?

• Where do I want to grow?

Step 2: Brainstorm a List of Goals

If they're just ideas, they don't have to be fancy. They don't have to be realistic. I don't have to think about how I'm going to achieve them. I'm just going to come up with them. For me, this list would include:

• Sticking to my contract hours
• Increasing engagement of my students
• Weekly messages to parents
• Better support of general education teachers

If I were still in a grade level classroom position, my list might look more like:

• Sticking to my contract hours
• Weekly newsletter to parents
• Daily positive contact
• Implement consistent math workshop routines
• Better writing feedback on writing goals

Step 3: What Makes a Goal “Realistic”?

A realistic goal is going to align with your current role and responsibilities. It must be able to be accomplished within your school day or some kind of reasonable effort outside of it. We don't want something that's going to take us like five hours outside of our contract time every day to complete this goal, whatever goal it is you've set. 

We want to make sure it doesn't require daily perfection, but it is going to get better with consistent progress. It's going to consider the energy you have, the time and the resources available to you. We're not going to invest millions in our classroom to try to make this goal happen, right? It should be something that is easy and sustainable for us. And then, of course, we want it to support our wellbeing and our professional growth. 

When you set a realistic goal, it's really easy to get kind of swept up in the excitement of a fresh start. And we really have to keep the mindset that progress matters more than perfection.

Step 4: Use the SMART Goal Framework

I know as teachers, we're all familiar with Smart goals, and as much as I groan every time I hear about them, there is something to them that helps people stick with them when we write them this way. So I encourage you to use the Smart acronym as you're planning out your goal.

Step 6: Break It Down

Take your chosen goal and make it actionable. Let’s use the example “Stick to my contract hours.”

Here’s how to break that down:

1. Decide your hours and stick to them like they’re non-negotiable teaching blocks.

2. Batch your tasks. Assign each day a focus (e.g., Monday = math planning, Tuesday = writing).

3. Use a planning pad to assign weekly time blocks.

4. Prepare copies in bulk. Use a drawer system and sticky notes to stay organized.

5. Communicate your boundaries. Let your team know when you are and aren’t available.

Final Thoughts

Teaching is a marathon, not a sprint. By choosing realistic goals for teachers, you give yourself permission to make slow, steady progress that lasts. Reflect on your needs, narrow your focus, and commit to just a few changes at a time.