The term is underway. The prerequisite handing out of new books and new germs has taken place and we all find ourselves once again coughing and sneezing on the Autumn Term merry-go-round. It is usual practise at the beginning of a new term to set some targets for the coming weeks and months. This is a task that even the most goal-oriented and ambitious pupils find taxing. As teachers, we ask a multitude of inane and unhelpful questions; what did you find challenging last year? What is your academic priority now? Is there a sports team you would like to be selected for? All the while, pupils no doubt stare back into our earnest faces thinking “If I just make something up and put it down, maybe she will leave me alone?”.

I don’t believe that target setting needs to be this painful. The approach I take with my tutees is, keep it short, keep it simple. The most useful targets are those which are SMART (succinct, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-focused). By following this structure we are able to identify a specific area for improvement and a specific point at which it should have been achieved. Equally, we shouldn’t feel dispirited if we do not manage to achieve the target but should simply reassess the task we set for ourselves; extend it, change it, shorten it but never lose sight of what we originally wanted to accomplish.

By the end of this week my target is to ensure that all my tutees have written their targets. I will know this has happened when all their names appear on the school’s online assessment system.

Done. Maybe I’ll be left alone now…