Let’s Be Sharp This Year! Back-to-School Goal Setting Craftivity

This student goal-setting craftivity is best used as a beginning-of-year social-emotional learning lesson. Encourage your students to set attainable goals and begin their new school year with a fun cactus-themed goal-setting craft. 

With this template, students will identify their top three goals for the new school year and write about them. Then they will create an awesome cactus plant to display their plans to “Be Sharp” in their new classroom. 

Prepare an Easy Back-to-School Bulletin Board

Use this activity to create an amazing back-to-school bulletin board display inside or outside of your classroom. Have the students complete the activity, mount their project to construction paper, and staple it to your board. Now everyone can see how your students are focused on the new year!

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

This resource is a low-prep resource that only requires you to make copies for your students. Provide them with copies of the templates, pencils, crayons, and glue to complete the assembly of the craftivity.

Before You Download

Use the Download button to download the PDF version of this resource. Print each student a copy of the three template pages.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and a Teach Starter Collaborator. 

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more goal-setting and mindfulness activities we know your students will love:  

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Do YOU Have a Growth Mindset? – Word Search

Use this word search activity to show students the qualities and characteristics of creating a growth mindset in the classroom.

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Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheets

Practice developing a growth mindset with this 2-page worksheet.

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Growth Mindset Teaching Resource Bundle

A collection of resources to use when developing a growth mindset in your students.