August 2010 Print
As the new school year begins, it is important to think about what your objectives are and what steps you will need to take in order to accomplish those goals. Action planning is a process which can help you effectively map out the year ahead.

Some things to keep in mind about action planning:
  • Making and using lists can help to identify your objectives and prioritize accordingly.
  • Establishing a timeline is critical! It is extremely important to create realistic goals that can be accomplished in a reasonable amount of time. For instance, your goals should be SMART goals: sustainable, measurable, attainable, results-oriented and time sensitive. Your goals and overall objectives, your reflections, and your action planning should all be in sync which will help you define your goals, identify the strategies needed to accomplish them, and reflect on what worked well.
  • While your overall objectives may stay the same throughout the year, the activities designed to accomplish those objectives are fluid. An action plan is a "works in progress" designed to be a blueprint for your coaching actions. It is meant to be revisited regularly so that you can reflect on your practices and make the necessary adjustments to accomplish your goals.

Check out our sample Action Plan to help you get started.