SMART goals are just one of the many valuable concepts Learning Forward Academy members use in their learning experience. Use this tool to learn how to create SMART goals for your school or district. What is a tree diagram, and why use it? A tree diagram is a graphic organizer that can help educators make their goals SMART — strategic and specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time-bound. We use graphic organizers every day ­— e.g. calendars, planners, PDAs, agendas. They help us organize our thinking, create and monitor plans, connect isolated pieces of knowledge, and make meaning. They’re especially powerful when used by teams because they help distribute everyone’s individual knowledge, making thinking visible by creating a powerful picture of what we are all thinking