Goals, Grit, and Mindset (Class Activity on SMART Goals, Grit, Growth Mindset)

Goals, Grit, and Mindset is a classroom activity that helps students develop successful habits at the start of a new school year or semester. The 25-page teaching resource covers the key concepts of SMART goals, Angela Duckworth’s idea of “grit”, and Carol Dweck’s “growth mindset” theory. Through informative slides, embedded videos, and an application worksheet, students gain an understanding of these motivational ideas. The slides provide summaries, real-world examples, and research on setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, sticking to long-term passions and purposes (grit), and using challenges and setbacks as opportunities to learn (growth mindset). Students then apply these concepts to set personalized goals and adopt habits and mindsets to help achieve them. This standards-aligned activity supports middle and high school teachers in launching an optimistic, goal-oriented environment.