How to Set Realistic Self-Education Goals

Setting realistic goals is always a challenge when it comes to self-education.

For me, my life is busy, so I don’t have a ton of time to spend on self education.  However, there is still a lot that I would like to learn, so finding a balance between what I want to do and what I can do is difficult.

Here are steps I’ve found helpful for setting self-education goals each year.

How to Set Realistic Self-Education Goals

1. Determine what you would like to learn.

My list for what I’d like to learn is so much longer than what I can actually accomplish, but it’s always good to write it all out, as long as you realize that you won’t do it all.  You don’t want to get overwhelmed, this step is just a place to start!

I usually ask myself a few questions to help determine what goes on this list:

1. What do I need to study in preparation to teach princess?
2. Where do I feel weak in my own education?
3. If I had all the time in the world, what would I study?

The last one is just for fun, but self-education should be fun.  You should allow yourself the freedom to study something that interests only you.

2. Prioritize the list.

For me, the highest priority is put on the things that I am going to have to teach.  Then, I think there should be something fun next.  Followed by an area where I feel weak and then something else fun to study.  This is just how I would prioritize my list, for you it might look different.  Either way it’s important to prioritize your list, since you probably won’t be able to get to everything in one year.

3. Determine the time you have each week to dedicate to self-education.

Mom’s are busy, teacher’s are busy, doing both can be downright hectic, but we all have pockets of time in which we can fit something just for us.  This may only be a hour a week or as much as 2 hours a day, either way you need to figure out how much time you are willing to spend on your self-education each week.  For me, I feel that I can give 20-30 minutes a day during the week for my self-education.

You also need to figure out when you will take the time for your self-education.  I usually make time for self-education just after the kids go to bed and hubby is checking out the internet, but you may be too tired at that point in the day.  Frankly, some days I am too, but the idea is to get something down that will help you move towards making your self-education goals a reality.

4. Determine what I can do in the allotted time.

This is where the rubber hits the road.  Your goal here is not to impress, but to create realistic goals for your self-education.

Each person’s journey will look different, there’s no right or wrong here.  Basically you take your time frame (from step 3) and plug in your goals beginning with the most important ones (from step 2).

Once you determine what you will complete you may want to write out a bit of a syllabus for yourself.  I recently saw some neat self-education forms from Wakefield Academy’s blog, that will help you organize your thoughts.

5. Find a way to stay accountable.

Whether you meet with another group of homeschool moms in your area or post on your blog about your progress, it’s important to be accountable.  If you know that someone will be checking up on how your doing, you are more likely to do it.

Finding time for self-education can be difficult, but it is worth your time.  It will make you a better teacher for your students.  You get the chance to fill in gaps from your own education and model what life-long learning looks like for your own children.