Improving Writing Skills: Setting SMART Goals for Public Health and Education Students

What are SMART Goals?

CompleBy a PhD in Public Health student: To improve my grammar, I will complete the Sentence Structure Basics and Verbs modules in the Writing Center with a 90% score within 6 months. •Is it specific? Yes. The student includes the names of the modules and where to find them, rather than just “modules.” •Is it measurable? Yes. The student needs to receive a certain score. •Is it achievable? Yes. The student has given herself adequate time, and she is not expecting perfection. She is giving herself some leeway in the score. •Is it relevant? Yes. The student is working toward a PhD in Public Health degree, and she will eventually write a dissertation. For a dissertation, proper grammar is especially important, making the goal relevant to the student’s situation. •Is it timely? Yes. The student has attached a timeframe of 6 months to this goal. Example Goal 2 By an MS in Education student who is also a middle-school teacher: I will attend two professional development workshops. •Is it specific? No. The student has listed professional development workshops in general but not which ones. •Is it measurable? Yes. The student has indicated two workshops. When two have been attended, she knows the goal is completed. •Is it achievable? Yes. It is reasonable that the student has access to professional development workshops as a teacher. •Is it relevant? Sort of. Professional development is certainly relevant to the teaching occupation, but without specificity, the relevance is unclear.te clinical self-assessment using the smart Goal tool.