Microsoft Word - Grades 9-12 goal setting revised.docx

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Grades 9-12 Goal Setting

Background Information:

Goal setting skills are essential for young people. They empower students to strive for self-

improvement and have control over their own lives. This skill includes steps that will help students

achieve short and long term goals. By reaching these goals, students gain confidence and are able

to identify, adopt, and maintain healthy behaviors that will help them be successful in the future.

The goal-setting model for grades 9-12 involves four basic steps. The steps are identifying a short-

term healthy goal, creating an action plan, identifying barriers and supporters, and reflecting on the

plan. Students must first assess their overall personal health status--identifying strengths, needs, and

risk behaviors. After they have analyzed their personal status, they need to identify a healthy short-

term goal they wish to accomplish. Next, they need to create an action plan that includes strategies,

a timeline, and resources. Next they need to identify possible barriers and brainstorm strategies that

will help them overcome these challenges. Finally, when their goal is completed, they will reflect on

their goal setting process and celebrate their successes.

The Model

Identify

a Goal

ReflectionsMake

Action Plan

Identify

Problems

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The Steps

Skill Steps

Teaching Progression

Grades 9-12 Goal Setting Example:

Step 1:

Identify the

Goal

In order to identify a goal, it is a good idea for students to assess their own

health needs.

• After students have decided on a possible goal, they need to make sure

it meets the following criteria. If it doesn’t, they need to pick a new goal

or make changes. (SMART)

a. Is the goal specific? Make sure the goal is not too broad. It

needs to be specific enough so that students can focus their

efforts and clearly define what they are going to do.

b. Is the goal measurable? When choosing a goal, be sure to have

one that can be measured. When they can measure a goal, they

see changes occur. Students will also be able to stay on track and

have better success.

c. Is the goal attainable? If they set a goal that is too far out of their

reach, then you will not commit to it for long. Attainable goals help

develop your attitudes, abilities, and skills if they are important to

you.

d. Is the goal realistic? This means do-able. Set the bar high

enough for a satisfying achievement. It must require some effort.

e. Is the completion time defined? Can I finish the goal in a

reasonable amount of time? Most high school students will have

more success with short-term goals.

• Next, students need to be able to explain why they want to attempt this

goal and how this goal will help improve their lives. Once they have a

belief that this skill will help them, they are more apt to use this process

to achieve goals in the future.

Based on my nutrition pre-assessment diary, I

want to decrease the amount of sugar I am

consuming each day.

Goal Statement: In three weeks, I will decrease

the number of grams of sugars I consume by

50%.

This is a worthwhile goal because I realize that I

am eating 1000 more grams of sugar than I

should be eating. This will be a challenge, but it

is realistic for me to make some changes in the

four week time period.

This goal will help me feel better and help

prevent diseases like diabetes and weight gain

in the future.

Step 2:

Action Plan

Once a goal has been identified, it is now time for students to begin their

action plan. Using an action plan helps to break the goal into smaller and

more achievable steps.

• Students start to develop a list of smaller steps they want to do in order

to accomplish the goal. After developing the steps, students then need

to plan their course of action. Be sure it includes:

! starting and ending dates for each step,

! resources needed to accomplish the steps,

! solutions to barriers that will arise during the process.

• Identify who can support you as you start to reach towards your goal.

• It is helpful for them to also develop a way to keep track of their progress

by using charts, timelines, calendars, or journals.

• Finally, students need to start “doing” their action plan. They need to

track their progress as they are engaged in the steps of reaching their

goal. As a teacher, it is a good idea to set up checks throughout the

process to have students assess their own progress.

• If students are not having success with completing their goal, they may

need to make adjustments or changes. In some cases they may need to

pick an entirely new goal.

Break the goal into measurable and manageable

steps

• Research information about carbohydrates

and sugar.

• Talk with my parents about the amount of

sugar I am consuming and how I can have

help from home with healthier alternatives.

• Create a daily menu that reflects a 50%

drop in my sugar consumption.

• Carry out the action plan for one week.

• Keep track of my progress using the “My

Plate” computer program. !

• Identify changes in my diet—for example, I

am drinking one pop a day instead of 3.!

Step 3:

Barriers/

Solutions

• Students have to analyze possible barriers that might occur that would

keep them from reaching their goal.

• They need to create a list of anticipated barriers. After each barrier,

students need to brainstorm a realistic solution to overcome the barrier.

• It is recommended that students also share their steps with a peer or

trusted adult who may become a support person for helping them reach

their goal. Support can be in the form of resources, encouragement, and

positive feedback.

• Some of the barriers I have encountered

was drinking pop and energy drinks. It is

hard to be around my friends and not drink

those. I am going to drink flavored water

instead.

• I also leave campus everyday for lunch and

go to 7-11. I found that I always get a

jumbo candy bar. I am going to get a small

one instead.

Step 4:

Reflection

• Allow the students time to reflect on the outcome of their goal. Were

they able to reach it or not?

• I reached my goal and celebrated by

buying myself some music with the money I

saved from not buying energy drinks and

candy.!

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Health Skills Models: www.rmc.org/healthskills

Sample Student Handout

Teaching Tips:

• Vocabulary: short term goal, long term

goal, attainable, specific, measurable,

realistic, barriers, supporters,

• If you are focusing on a health goal.

Students should complete a health

inventory or gather data to determine

their overall health status. (There are

many health assessments online.)

• Students have to be able to identify why

the goal is important to them.

• Make sure students create a goal that is

SMART. That means it is a goal that is

specific, measurable, attainable,

realistic, and has a timeline.

• A great homework assignment might be

to have students interview an adult

about their successes and failures in

reaching goals.

• Have a class discussion about how to

identify an age appropriate person that

could give support in reaching a goal.

How do you ask for help? You need to

also help guide the students as to who

would be a reliable support person to

help guide them through this process.

• When looking at long-term goals,

students need to learn how to set short-

term goals that will lead to the success

in attaining a long-term goal.

• This model can be used in all subject

areas. (English, Physical Education,

Science)

• Using rewards throughout the process

is important to keep students motivated.

• Having students write a paper, reflect in

a journal, or teach the process to others

can assess mastery.

• When verbalizing or writing down a goal

it seems to “stick” with a student. This

may be done individually or by letting

another person know about your plan.

What Does Mastery of Accessing Information Look

Like:

Grades 9-12 students will have mastered the process of goal setting if

they can formulate an effective long term and short-term personal

health goal. They can also demonstrate their ability to monitor their

own progress by following an action plan-- including the ability to

identify barriers and formulate solutions. Finally, they should be able

to assess their successes and failures they had during their

experience and articulate how using the goal setting process will help

them be successful in the future.

Teaching/Student Resources

The Colorado Education Initiative

http://www.coloradoedinitiative.org/resourc

es/chpe/

RMC Health

http://www.rmc.org/

Colorado Department of Education

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cohealthpe/state

standards

Colorado Education Initiative coloradoedinitiative.org!

Health Skills Models: www.rmc.org/healthskills

Goal Setting

Step 1: Identifying a Goal

Write your specific goal. _______________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Goal Checklist (SMART)

! Is the goal specific?

! Is the goal measurable?

! Is the goal attainable?

! Is the goal realistic?

! Is the goal time phased?

Why is this goal important to me? How will this goal help me? _________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Who will I share my goal with for feedback and to help keep me on track?

___________________________________________________________________________

What healthy activity will I do to celebrate when I reach my goal? _______________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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Health Skills Models: www.rmc.org/healthskills

Step 2: Create an Action Plan

Goal: ______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Goal Start Date: ____________________ Goal End Date: ____________________

Steps I Will Use to Reach My Goal. Include a predicted date of completion. Place a checkmark at

the end of each step once completed:

Measurable steps to the

goal

Starting and

completion

dates

What do I need?

Did I

achieve

it?

Why not?

What is my

solution?

Who will support me? Write a paragraph about what kind of support I need and who would be the

best person to give me support?

___________________________________________________________________________

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Health Skills Models: www.rmc.org/healthskills

Step 3: Barriers/Solutions

As you are working on your goal, you may experience barriers that may keep you from reaching your

goal. Write some of the barriers down and what some solutions might be so you can continue with

your goal.

Barrier: ___________________________________________________________________

Possible

Solution: __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

___!

Barrier: ___________________________________________________________________

Possible

Solution: __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

___!

Barrier: ___________________________________________________________________

Possible

Solution: __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

___!

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Health Skills Models: www.rmc.org/healthskills

Step 4: Reflection

Reflection

Write a paper that reflects on the goal setting process. Be sure to include the following ideas:

● Did you reach your goal or not?

● Explain your successes and failures.

● How did you stay motivated to work on your goal? Did you keep from giving up?

● Did you reward yourself during the process? How?

● How will this goal make your life better?

● What did you learn about goal setting?

________________________________________________________________________________