Mark Avery

As a trainee teacher, setting meaningful targets with your mentor is one of the most effective ways to track your growth and evidence your progress. By working together to identify specific areas for development, you ensure you’re collecting the evidence needed to meet the Core Content Framework (CCF) and Teachers’ Standards. Let’s dive into why negotiating clear, achievable targets with your mentor matters, along with some practical tips on making those targets work for you.

Why Setting SMART Targets with Your Mentor Matters

1. Keeping Focused on CCF Priorities
   • The CCF outlines the foundational skills and knowledge that underpin effective teaching across areas such as behaviour management, assessment, and adaptive teaching. While the CCF isn’t a formal assessment tool, it highlights the core skills trainee teachers need to develop to be effective practitioners (DfE, 2019)​. When your targets are aligned with the CCF, you ensure you’re working on areas that are fundamental to your success as a teacher. For instance, if developing “high expectations” in the classroom (Standard 1) is a focus, setting a target like “Use positive reinforcement strategies to encourage student engagement in each lesson this week” is aligned with best practice and keeps your development on track (DfE, 2019)​​.
2. Making Targets Fit Your School Context
   • Each school and classroom environment is unique, so tailoring your targets to your specific placement context is essential. Discussing with your mentor what will work best within the school’s policies and routines helps to make your targets relevant. For instance, if behaviour management is a focus, a specific target could be: “Observe and apply the school’s behaviour policy by using three specific techniques for addressing low-level disruption.” This helps you develop your classroom management skills in a way that’s practical and contextualised for your placement setting (UWE, 2024)​​.
3. Tracking Your Progress with Evidence
   • Targets are not only for development but also a way to gather evidence of your progress. Clear, measurable goals help you document and demonstrate how you’re meeting course expectations. Think about how you’ll know when you’ve achieved a target. For example, if your goal is “Use three formative assessment techniques to gauge pupil understanding in each lesson,” you could keep notes on how these methods work with different classes. Reviewing this evidence with your mentor shows tangible progress and highlights areas for further focus, aligning with Teachers’ Standard 2 (Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils) (DfE, 2011)​​.
4. Building Reflective Practice
   • Reflective practice is a cornerstone of professional development, and setting targets with your mentor encourages this process. When you set a target, try it, reflect, and adjust, you’re building a cycle of continuous improvement. Research suggests that reflective practice, supported by constructive feedback, is a significant driver of teacher growth (Schön, 1983)​​. For example, setting a target to improve questioning techniques can lead to reflection on what strategies work best, providing a structured way to think critically about your teaching methods.
5. Preparing for the Early Career Teacher (ECT) Phase
   • Working toward and achieving targets during your training will better prepare you for the ECT phase, where reflective practice and structured targets continue to be essential. The Department for Education notes that learning to set and meet SMART targets fosters a goal-setting habit that helps maintain high standards during the early stages of your teaching career (DfE, 2019)​​.

Tips for Setting Effective SMART Targets

When setting targets, make them SMART—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Here are some tips for each part of SMART to ensure your targets are clear and practical.

• Specific: Keep your target clear and focused on a particular skill or area of practice. Instead of saying “improve behaviour management,” aim for “use consistent routines to manage behaviour in all Year 8 classes.” This gives you and your mentor a specific focus, which is easier to track and evaluate (DfE, 2019)​.
• Measurable: Think about how you’ll know when you’ve achieved the target. For instance, “Use exit tickets in three lessons to check for understanding” provides a clear, measurable criterion. Measurable targets help you monitor progress and see how well your strategies are working (UWE, 2024)​.
• Achievable: Set realistic targets that still stretch you. Aim to build your skills gradually. For example, if you’re new to formative assessment, a good first target could be, “Use questioning techniques to gauge understanding in at least one part of each lesson,” rather than trying to completely redesign your approach to assessment (Locke & Latham, 2002)​​.
• Relevant: Choose targets that are directly relevant to your placement context and your stage of development. If classroom management is a challenge, focus on that area first before moving on to more complex teaching strategies. Relevant targets help you gain practical skills that are immediately useful (UWE, 2024)​.
• Time-bound: Set a clear timeframe for each target. This keeps you accountable and ensures your goals are being reviewed regularly. For instance, try “By next Friday, implement three techniques to encourage quiet transitions between activities.” Setting deadlines for each target also makes it easier to review and adapt as needed​​.

Example SMART Targets for Trainees

Here are a few examples to get you started with setting your own SMART targets:

1. Behaviour Management
   • Example Target: “Use the school’s behaviour policy to address low-level disruptions by applying three specific techniques (e.g., proximity control, positive reinforcement, non-verbal cues) in every lesson for the next two weeks.”
     • Focus: This target is specific to classroom management techniques, provides measurable actions, and sets a timeframe for review with a mentor.
   • Example Target: “Greet each student at the door with a positive comment to establish a calm start and encourage engagement in all Year 9 classes for the next week.”
     • Focus: This approach promotes a positive atmosphere and is easy to measure by observing student responses.
2. Assessment for Learning
   • Example Target: “Incorporate one formative assessment method (e.g., thumbs-up/thumbs-down, mini-whiteboards) in each lesson to check understanding of key concepts, starting this week and continuing for five lessons.”
     • Focus: A clear, structured method for checking understanding helps you gauge pupil progress, which is easy to track and adjust based on student feedback.
   • Example Target: “Provide written feedback on students’ homework that highlights one strength and one area for improvement for each assignment, ensuring this feedback is returned within one week of submission over the next month.”
     • Focus: This target is measurable in terms of timing and content of feedback, supporting students’ awareness of their progress and areas for growth.
3. Adaptive Teaching
   • Example Target: “Prepare differentiated instructions for three different ability groups in my Year 7 Maths class on algebraic expressions, to be used in next Tuesday’s lesson.”
     • Focus: This target is specific to supporting diverse learners and promotes intentional planning for differentiation.
   • Example Target: “Develop three scaffolded questions to support a student with additional needs in understanding the main concepts of each science experiment, and review their effectiveness in my post-lesson reflection over the next two weeks.”
     • Focus: This encourages specific adaptations for SEND students, with a clear review method through reflection.
4. Classroom Routines
   • Example Target: “Establish a consistent entry routine for Year 8 by assigning a five-minute start activity for every lesson, beginning this week, to settle students and focus them on the topic.”
     • Focus: Setting a predictable structure helps manage transitions and student expectations, with a clear start and measure.
   • Example Target: “Implement a consistent pack-up routine with all Year 7 classes, where students have two minutes to tidy up and review the lesson’s main points, to be reviewed weekly with feedback from my mentor.”
     • Focus: This target focuses on effective classroom management by promoting routines that help students stay organised and aware of lesson goals.
5. Developing Subject Knowledge
   • Example Target: “Complete a review of GCSE-level programming techniques (e.g., loops, conditional statements, variables) and incorporate at least one of these concepts in each lesson with my Year 10 computing class over the next month.”
     • Focus: This supports ongoing subject knowledge growth, integrating new skills in classroom practice.
   • Example Target: “Attend one extra-curricular Maths workshop by the end of the month to expand my knowledge in algebra, then apply two new techniques in my Year 11 lessons on quadratic equations.”
     • Focus: This target promotes proactive subject knowledge enhancement, with specific application to teaching.
6. Enhancing Pupil Engagement
   • Example Target: “Introduce a variety of interactive questioning techniques (e.g., think-pair-share, cold-calling, random name generators) in each lesson this week, aiming to engage at least five different students each time.”
     • Focus: This target aims to increase pupil participation and engagement through interactive techniques, which is measurable through student involvement.
   • Example Target: “Incorporate a student-led discussion section in each lesson, encouraging at least two students to lead a short recap of the previous topic, starting with tomorrow’s Year 9 class and continuing for two weeks.”
     • Focus: This goal is designed to empower students to take responsibility for learning and enables the teacher to observe and gauge engagement and comprehension.
7. Using Technology Effectively
   • Example Target: “Use an online quiz tool (e.g., Kahoot, Quizizz) once a week in my Year 10 history class to review key facts and concepts, assessing student understanding and motivation.”
     • Focus: This target is aimed at integrating technology to enhance engagement and is easily tracked through usage and student response.
   • Example Target: “Introduce one digital tool (e.g., interactive whiteboard, online resources) to support visual learning in every lesson with Year 7 students for the next two weeks, and seek feedback on its effectiveness.”
     • Focus: Encouraging the use of technology to support learning, this target is specific and measurable through feedback and observations.
8. Professional Development and Reflection
   • Example Target: “Spend 15 minutes after each lesson writing a reflection on what went well and one area to improve, focusing on classroom management, for the next two weeks.”
     • Focus: This target develops reflective practice and helps identify patterns in teaching practice that may need adjustment.
   • Example Target: “Discuss one observed lesson each week with my mentor, focusing on the teacher’s use of questioning, and apply one technique in my own lesson by the end of the following week.”
     • Focus: This encourages learning from experienced colleagues and practical application, with clear timelines and steps for implementation.
9. Parental Engagement
   • Example Target: “Contact the parents or carers of two students per week over the next month, sharing positive feedback about their progress in class to build stronger home-school connections.”
     • Focus: This target is specific, relevant, and time-bound, aimed at enhancing relationships with parents and carers.
   • Example Target: “Prepare and distribute a short weekly email summary to parents of my Year 10 Maths class, highlighting key topics covered and upcoming assessments, starting this Friday and continuing for six weeks.”
     • Focus: This promotes consistent communication with parents, which can improve student engagement and support from home.
10. Planning and Preparation
    • Example Target: “Complete a detailed lesson plan for each class, including starter activities, adaptive tweaks to tasks, and a plenary, for each lesson over the next two weeks, and review with my mentor weekly.”
      • Focus: This target encourages structured planning, and the weekly review adds a layer of accountability.
    • Example Target: “Plan for three different questioning techniques in each lesson this week to probe student understanding and adapt the lesson flow based on responses.”
      • Focus: This target supports developing adaptive teaching techniques and is specific to planning and lesson delivery.

Setting clear SMART targets like these can keep your development focused, measurable, and aligned with your placement context and training goals. Working with your mentor to review and adjust these targets will help you continually reflect on and refine your teaching practice. Setting SMART targets with your mentor not only helps you develop specific skills but also guides you in documenting evidence of your progress, helping you demonstrate that you’re meeting the Teachers’ Standards and developing as an effective, reflective teacher.

Remember, teaching is a journey—don’t be discouraged if things don’t go perfectly. Each target is a step toward becoming a confident, capable educator.