Resolutions vs. Goals

Deciding to earn a teaching certificate meant going back to college, five years after earning my Bachelors degree. One course was called “Methodology.” Basically, it was a course about the practical tools and the nuts and bolts of ways to teach. I only remember a couple of things from that class that I use today in my role as a teacher – and as part of my personal growth.

One thing I learned was how to write “objectives” that would help the students see what they were expected to learn, and how the teacher was going to determine if they had learned it or not. Writing behavior objectives, based upon an ultimate goal, gives students a chance to see the process involved to go from simple tasks to complex thinking. One suggested method is simply called The ABCD’s of Behavioral Objective writing. The “A” is for Audience. Who are those we are trying to teach? “B” is for Behavior. What measurable, observable behavior is desired? “C” is for Condition. What situations, practices, instructions, or demonstrations will provide the information and skills needed for the student to accomplish the objective? And, “D” is for Degree. How important is this objective? Is 100% (mastery) required? Is 80% enough? Three of five correct?

It has recently been suggested that I write a goal (or several) and determine the intermediate steps, the objectives, needed to move me towards reaching the goal(s). I confess. I’m stuck. I don’t believe in making New Year Resolutions. So I use that as an excuse for not making goals. Yet the conflict comes from what I do believe in: Every day is another chance to change, do something different, be more loving, be more compassionate, be more comforting, be more willing to do the next right thing.

In AA there is a saying that identifies what insanity is like: Doing the same things over and over, expecting different results. So doing something different, may give different, better, results, and isn’t that what we want?

Time to make some goals. Time to write out what objectives I can complete, one by one, to reach those goals.