To Young Teachers Part 2 <148> S(1)_ The Art of Goal Setting to Turn Children's Motivation into 'Peak Performance'! What is the 'SMART Goal' Framework Used by Google?

Have you ever experienced a child's enthusiasm to 'try harder' somehow fading away by next week? Hello, this is Tobira AI. Starting today, we will cover 'S: Smart Goal' from the Teacher's Skill Set A to Z. Please see the previous article in this A to Z series below.

Let's get started.

What you will be able to do after reading this article

• Learn to break down and translate abstract desires like 'I'll do my best' into 'concrete tasks' that can be executed immediately starting tomorrow.

• Learn to correctly index 'processes (actions)' that the child can 100% control, rather than 'results' like test scores.

• Learn to identify the 'just right level of difficulty' so that children don't run away from pressure, and co-create intrinsic motivation.

• Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Today's QUIZ

Please think about it.

'I will study harder for the next final exam.' 'I will solve many problems every day to pass my target school.'

When we educators hear such words from children during regular school interviews or on goal-setting sheets, we are happy about their 'motivation,' but at the same time, we might feel a hint of anxiety. We wonder, 'What exactly will this child do starting tomorrow?' or 'Will this enthusiasm last until next week?' In most cases, these tend to end up as 'mere wishes lacking specificity.'

As I have mentioned before, people in the field of education are generally not good at measuring things with numbers. I have written articles on this theme before. Under 'N: Navigate with Number,' I explained everything from creating graphs to simple and multiple regression analysis using Excel and AI (Python) over a 22-part series. Please take a look if you are interested.

The 'S' starting today is similar in that it involves verification using numbers, but in this series, I would like to convey the 'art' of goal setting. When it comes to standard goal management in business, it is the 'SMART Goal.' I would like to introduce this.

The World-Standard Framework 'SMART'

This 'SMART Goal' is a framework that can be called a world standard. It is used everywhere, including in Google's marketing lectures. It is a matter of course for managers, but summarizing it with an acronym like this is also important. Oh, SMART is not the adjective 'smart,' but an acronym for the following five words.

• Specific (Is it specific?)

• Measurable (Is it measurable?)

• Attainable (Is it attainable?)

• Relevant (Is it relevant to values?)

• Time-bound (Is there a deadline?)

A goal that satisfies these five criteria is called a "SMART Goal." Let's warmly redesign this framework for the context of education.

[S] Specific: Can you play back your actions from tomorrow onwards in your mind like a "color movie"?

The first condition is that it must be "Specific." In an educational setting, "specific" refers to a state where, "when you read the goal aloud, you can play it back in your head like a color movie, seeing where, what, and how you will be doing things tomorrow."

"I'll do my best at English" is not a goal; it is merely a "wish." When a child uses the word "do my best," the instructor needs to gently ask, "Specifically, what will you do and how?" "Open my vocabulary book and memorize 10 words a day," "Read the textbook aloud three times every day before dinner"—only when actions are broken down to this level does the brain recognize them as "executable tasks."

[M] Measurable: Escape the trap of "test scores," which you cannot control

The second is "Measurable." In general business marketing, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as sales figures and year-on-year comparisons are extremely important, but the biggest trap in an educational setting is making the goal solely about numerical results you cannot control, such as test scores or deviation scores. Yes, the fact that they are "uncontrollable" is what makes them dangerous.

Numerical results fluctuate depending on physical condition and the difficulty of the questions. Just because they missed the mark by "one point" after giving their all, a child might mistakenly think, "My efforts were a waste." That is why, in SMART goals for education, we make the "actions (process)" the measurable indicator, not the score. By making the process 100% controllable through the individual's own will and actions—such as "solve the workbook three times," "complete five years of past exam papers," or "watch two class videos every week"—children can gain the autonomy of knowing that "if I do it, I can achieve it."

[A] Attainable: Learning the exquisite "technique of stretching" from the masterpiece baseball manga 'Captain'

The third is "Attainable." A goal that is too far removed from the current situation, such as "get 1st place in the grade on the next test (currently 100th)," may look impressive at first glance, but psychologically, it intensifies the "fear of failure" and actually causes delays in starting the learning process. As a slight digression, there is a manga by Akio Chiba called 'Captain.' The weak baseball team led by the protagonist, Takao Taniguchi, is set to face the prestigious Aoba Academy, and he imposes intense practice on the nine players. To a teammate's comment about the intensity, "W-we're going to lose... are you trying to win?", Taniguchi replies as follows.

I think this is a famous quote. 'Captain' was published in 1972, so it's a story from 50 years ago, but I often used this anecdote when changing a student's perspective. "Huh? Are you planning on failing?" "...No, that's not it." I even imitate Taniguchi's expression when I say this.

Some children are inspired by high goals, but my recent impression is that some children run away if the goals are too high. "Run away" might not be the best expression, but since everyone's self-esteem is truly low, it becomes a pressure that causes them to avoid it. Conversely, goals that are too easy invite boredom and are meaningless. It's a difficult balance.

The first step toward autonomous learning is to accurately know your current location. It is about identifying with an adult the "difficulty zone" where, if you stretch just a little bit more, you can definitely reach it. Seeing that the path ahead is bright if you work hard. This is the secret to turning a challenge into something "exciting."

[R] Relevant: Co-creating "assigned quotas" into the child's "intrinsic motivation"

The fourth is "Relevant." In the general business world, this means "whether the organization's overall goal (company profit) matches the individual's goal." However, if you translate this literally in school as "following the school's educational goals," the child's heart will not be moved.

The "R" in an educational setting is the perspective of "how achieving that goal connects to the child's own 'ideal self,' 'sense of self-efficacy,' and their sense of conviction regarding social and emotional learning (SEL)."

Extrinsic motivation, such as "doing it because a teacher or parent told me to," does not last long. It is essential to co-create, through dialogue, a connection to the individual's intrinsic values, such as "If I can do these calculations, it will help me build strategies for the game I really want to play" or "If I master this English, I can directly understand the overseas culture I love." Let's listen carefully to what they have to say and search for goals that trigger their motivation.

[T] Time-bound: The ultimate time-limit strategy to kill the infinite procrastination of "I'll do it someday"

The final condition is "Time-bound." For children, especially elementary and junior high school students, the sense of time is much more abstract than it is for adults. They think they have infinite time. They cannot simulate it like adults can. Words like "I'll do it someday" or "I'll be able to do it eventually" mean infinite procrastination.

By setting a clear time limit—such as "by the end of this month," "by next Saturday," or "in the 20 minutes before this class ends"—time finally transforms into a "reality that must be addressed now." A clear deadline enhances a child's concentration and fosters a "temporal perspective," allowing them to control how they use their time.

A Shining Lamp at the Child's Feet

The true purpose of setting SMART goals is not to manage or evaluate children using numbers.

It is to "hand a lamp to children running in a dark road race, illuminating their feet so they can see clearly."

Where to head, what steps to take, and by when to walk. The moment this becomes clear, a spark of autonomy dwells in the children's eyes, and they begin to take a step forward on their own.

Next time, I will introduce how to use these SMART principles in actual student interviews and teaching situations, along with concrete [Before / After] examples that produce dramatic changes, accompanied by explanations from cognitive psychology.

QUIZ Answer

Deadline
was the answer.

Thank you very much.
To ensure that goals do not end up as just "pie in the sky," let's work together through dialogue to hand over the lamp called "SMART Goals" that brightly illuminates the path at the children's feet!

If you felt this article was "helpful!" or "I want to try using this in my teaching or parenting tomorrow," pleaseclick the "Like (heart mark)" and "Follow" buttons! Your reactions are my greatest source of energy (intrinsic motivation).

Also, if you have any opinions such as "we use this way of setting goals at home" or "this part seems difficult," or any episodes from your educational setting, please let me know in thecomments section.

Furthermore,to expand the "circle of education that draws out children's autonomy," I would be very happy if you could share the link to this article on social media such as X (formerly Twitter)! Your share might become a lamp that illuminates the feet of an educator or parent struggling somewhere. See you in the next article!

Deepest Gratitude
Warm Regards,
Tobira AI

References

• Google "Foundations of Digital Marketing and E-commerce" Coursera Lecture

• Sophia University "Introduction to Learning Analytics" JMOOC Lecture

• Akio Chiba, "Captain" Vol. 2

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※ Generative AI is used in this manuscript for image generation and text refinement.