SMART GOAL 1

SMART GOAL – I will learn how to be more productive and knowledgeable in ways to integrate
technology into the classes that I am placed in by taking a professional development course
with the Randolph County Regional Office of Education and working with my peers at Red Bud
Elementary School. I will measure this with the completion of the course and creating a google
classroom of my own for my spring 2022 placement.

Goal: To learn how to integrate technology into the classroom.

 Specific: I want to learn to create my google classroom, upload files, and perform other
necessary tasks to be able to successfully communicate to and run my classroom. Using
google classroom will allow me to complete different tasks such as saving and uploading
files, learning how to “open” assignments to students, and sending and receiving
correspondence for my class.

 Measurable: When I complete a Professional Development Course for the Randolph

County Regional Office of Education, that will meet my first criteria. After that, I will
take what I have learned to create a google classroom. Then I will take that product to
be reviewed by my next placement CT and peers where I substitute teach for tips, tricks,
and other feedback on how I can improve. By the end of the Spring 2022 semester, I
want to have a mock google classroom of my own.

 Achievable: This is achievable because I get emails from the Regional Office of Education
about all their professional development courses that are offered in our area. When I
attend that and complete the course, all I will have to do is apply that knowledge and
set up a few appointments with my peers that I substitute teach with and my
Cooperating Teacher to help me make it as good as possible.

 Relevant: This is relevant because a lot of schools are using google classroom to operate
at least part of their classes. This is a really good tool for ensuring that all your students
can have access to assignments, notes, and projects at all times. It integrates those who
are not able to physically attend classes as well due to sickness or other factors. This is a
great tool that can complement in class, in-person work. In our textbook, Simmonds
and Cooper (2011) say “We should also consider a student’s learning style as we create
our lessons.” (p. 82). This is relevant because you can post lessons and ideas for the
students who prefer online tasking or tracking. This can also use links to incorporate
those who like listening or watching or interacting with lessons.

 Time-Bound: This will be a spring semester goal as well. This will be something that will
be accomplishable in that time frame because I can use my resources to get it set up
and then start the build of my google classroom. By choosing to take the professional
development about google apps before I start anything else, that will streamline the
process of creating the project and then will also give insight on things I may need to
make it a possibility. All in all, I think that a semester will be a great time frame because
 I will be able to add things here and there from my placement and substitute teaching
time to the classroom that I will want to reflect on or add to my tool belt later.

SMART GOAL 2 – I want to improve my vocabulary for lessons in a way that makes not only the
verbiage but the tone and message more grade-level appropriate. This will be accomplished
during my next placement in a way that my new cooperating teacher will evaluate me during
regular class time and my lessons so I may reflect and build my approach. I will evaluate this on
my final lesson of the spring 2022 semester by creating a lesson plan that is based on all the
conversations between my CT and me, then being thoroughly evaluated on my approach, tone,
level of comprehension, and use of academic language. I will ask that she document all
missteps and have less than 3 total in my final lesson.

Goal: To ensure that the lessons that I teach are grade-appropriate comprehension levels.

 Specific: This is very specific and recommended by my last Cooperating teacher. I was asked to
teach a lesson on Pearl Harbor and the lesson was a little too advanced for the kids to get much
out of it. I missed that because they were so excited about asking questions and I mistook that
for comprehension. She recommended that moving forward I try to incorporate language and
ideas that are more understandable for the audience. There was nothing inappropriate, just
information that was more geared toward an audience that could understand more nuance to
what took place.
 Measurable: This was difficult to come up with measurements for, but my idea (and it is a new
try for me) is to have a bimonthly conversation with my Cooperating Teacher about how I am
doing in my ability to communicate. This will be something I request on the very first day that I
meet them. I want to be upfront and let my CT know what I am focusing on. Anything that I
can improve will be documented in my Field Placement Journal for future reflection and
documentation. For my final lesson in the 14-week placement, I will agree with my CT on what
things I still need to consider, and we will reflect together on past opportunities to be better.
That reflection will allow my CT to be aware and remember all things we are trying to improve
on. I will complete an entire 30-minute lesson with less than three mistakes in vocabulary and
comprehension level correctness.
 Achievable: This is achievable but not easy. I wanted this one to be a little extra work. This was
something I wanted to work on because I needed to understand what I am saying and how it is
being heard by the people I am trying to teach. If I am not aware of how lessons are received, I
will not be as effective in my methods or desire to help.
 Relevant: This is relevant because communication is a very necessary trait in the classroom, and
part of that is listening. If they are intently listening but I am speaking over their level of
comprehension, I am failing them. The idea of a teacher communicating to their students is
built on their understanding.
 Time-Bound: I want to take the full semester because I wanted time for mistakes to happen
and growth to be an option. Almost anyone can fake it for a week or two. I wanted to give
myself a chance to fail and correct myself. A semester is a long time for this, but it will only give
me more opportunities because 1 day a week isn’t very much time with the students. In our
textbook, Simmonds and Cooper (2011) say “To be effective communicators, we must be
flexible and possess a variety of communication acts.”. (p 10)

SMART GOAL 1

Goal: To be fully prepared for the literacy portion of the Illinois Licensure Testing System
Elementary Education content test by 30 MAY 2022 using dedicated study habits, note-taking,
and practice tests.

Goal: Be more prepared for the Illinois Licensure Testing System Elementary Education content
test.

 Specific: I will make a schedule of studying for 20 minutes three days a week that will be
uninterrupted to concentrate on studying the PowerPoint slides that Dr. Johnson sent
us from the CIED 312 class. I will also be using CIED 321 to continue learning. In this
class, I will take notes and incorporate those into my 20-minute study sessions. I will
start practice tests at a monthly frequency, using those grades to drive my testing and
study frequency as I progress.

 Measurable: I will measure my progress through the semester by completing and

checking off three study sessions per week on my planner. I will take monthly practice
tests from January until May. If I score less than an 80% or higher, I will increase study
time from 20 to thirty minutes and test frequency from monthly to bi-monthly, until an
80% or higher is achieved.

 Achievable: An 80% is an achievable goal to hold myself to. I believe that if I am not
consistently achieving that after the first 60 days, that additional study time would be
necessary. If I can meet that goal, I will increase that goal as I move closer to testing
dates. I will feel comfortable and confident if I can consistently meet or exceed my goal
of 80% accuracy on practice tests. In our textbook, Simmonds and Cooper (2011) say,
“A major characteristic of self-disclosure is that it occurs incrementally.”. This idea is
why I set my goal to be achieved in this way.

 Relevant: This is a goal of mine because it is a part of the content test that I am not
completely confident that I will be successful in. I want to go into the test prepared,
confident, and ready to complete the test on my first try. This will help me in meeting
that goal.

 Time-Bound: This study goal is set for the entire spring semester. By doing this, I will be
able to prepare ahead of time, so that I am looking forward and not being stressed out
and having to cram information in the final weeks leading up to the content test for
licensure. By committing this time early and doing practice tests I can know ahead of
time and have the time to make any test studying adjustments that may be necessary
leading up to this coming fall when I will be eligible to start taking the exams. By the
end of spring 2022, I will have prepared for these two content areas in a way that will
allow me to be fully comfortable and confident for the exam in the fall.
 SMART GOAL 2

Goal: To be fully prepared for the fine arts portion of the Illinois Licensure Testing System
Elementary Education content test by 30 MAY 2022 using dedicated study habits, note-taking,
and practice tests.

Goal: Be more prepared for the Illinois Licensure Testing System Elementary Education content
test.

 Specific: I will make a schedule of studying for 30 minutes two days a week that will be
uninterrupted to concentrate on studying the Wiki slides that Dr. O’Donnell posted on
the blackboard. These slides are complete coverage for the fine arts section of the
exam. This study session will be different as I will have to rotate between different
portions of the exam as I study them. They are broken down into many small
subsections so that I will be able to focus on things that I am not doing well on during
practice tests.

 Measurable: I will measure my progress through the semester by completing and

checking off two study sessions per week on my planner. I will take monthly practice
tests from January until May. If I score less than an 80%, I will see which portions of the
fine arts practice test I did not do well in and concentrate on that. I will then increase
frequency from monthly to bi-monthly practice tests until an 80% or higher is achieved.

 Achievable: An 80% is an achievable goal to be because I believe that is something that

with targeted practice, prior knowledge, and real dedication, I can complete that goal.
This being a goal that I am working up to, I can measure my growth in studying and tests
so that I can build on my weaknesses. In our textbook, Simmonds and Cooper (2011)
say, “The pace that will allow continued success and improvement is the correct pace
and will vary with different students.”. Knowing myself is how I can set this as
achievable.

 Relevant: This is a genre of the exam that I am not fully confident in. It is something
that I have not ever been interested in fully, and my commitment to educating myself
on this will make me well-rounded, and more prepared for the exam. I want to go into
the exam prepared and confident and this will allow me to fully accomplish this goal.

 Time-Bound: This will be a goal that I will have to complete for the spring semester of
2022 so that I am prepared ahead of time. Taking the test in the fall and passing it on
my first try is my end goal, and if I can be fully prepared during the prior semester that
will allow me plenty of time to make any pretesting adjustments that may be needed to
be as successful as I would like to be. By the end of spring 2022, I will have prepared for
these two content areas in a way that will allow me to be fully comfortable and
confident for the exam in the fall.
After our discussion I chose to create goals based off of my current placement, instead of “back-
dating” goals to my first placement. I think that this was a good idea because I was wanting to
have something to look forward to and work for. I was given two good ideas from my CT and
one of the other teachers who recently graduated from SIUE with her Elementary Education
degree. I chose to focus this upcoming semester on technology integration and comfortability
and communicating properly at a grade-level appropriate understanding. I was not aware that I
was teaching material for 5th or 6th graders when I was talking to the third-grade class and that is
a big deal to me. I do not want to waste opportunities to teach by making mistakes in my own
ability to communicate. So, thank you for this class and the opportunity to work with you Dr.
Johnson, I wish you and yours the best!
 References

Simonds, C., & Cooper, P. J. (2011). Communication for the classroom teacher. Allyn & Bacon.