As teachers, we want what is best for our students. This may mean very different things for different students, but at a basic level, we want our students to reach their potential and to find success. The word success is defined in the dictionary as “the accomplishment of one’s goals.” Goals are therefore the means by which success can be measured; indeed, an act can not be said to have been truly successful if it was not intentional. However, goals do not only measure success; they also induce it. Motivation is guided by goals, and as teachers, we accept motivating our students as part of our responsibility.

It seems obvious then that goal-setting should be an integral part of every teacher’s practice, yet this topic is all too rarely explicitly discussed in the classroom. Most teachers are highly motivated people, and perhaps they presume that others share an internal locus of control and motivation, but the reality is that many students, especially many of those labelled at-risk, lack this internal sense of control and responsibility. This site sets out some strategies to encourage positive goal setting as a means to develop that inner sense of motivation and control.

Although this site focuses on goal setting within the context of education, goal setting can be used in any aspect of our lives. The information on this site will be valuable not only to teachers, but also to parents and students.