Sometimes it helps to have visual reminders to help students track the goals they set. One way to do this is for students to create posters for individual or class goals. These posters can be printed, laminated, and hung up as a visual inspiration towards success! Lamination makes it easy for students to fill in their goal trackers (especially if they wish to reuse them), though students can also use stickers or other means to track their goal throughout the school year.
Students can start their posters from scratch, but you can add additional goal setting templates to help students get started.
This example shows a student's reading goals for the school year. We have lesson plans for each of these books that are full of visual activities to help students engage with the text!
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a goal tracking poster!
Student Instructions:
Begin your goal-tracking journey with a special event! Set aside time for students to discuss hopes for the year, share personal goals, and get excited about tracking progress together.
Demonstrate how to break a broad goal into a specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) format. Show students how to translate these into creative poster elements.
Encourage students to brainstorm and share poster ideas in small groups. Foster creativity by letting students suggest themes, colors, and symbols that resonate with their goals.
Set up weekly or biweekly check-ins for students to update their posters. Use stickers, dry erase markers, or progress bars so students can visually track growth and celebrate milestones.
Host a classroom gallery walk when students reach goal milestones. Invite students to share successes, reflect on challenges, and encourage each other’s progress.
A goal tracking poster is a visual tool that helps students set, track, and stay motivated toward achieving their academic or personal goals. Students can create these posters to monitor progress and celebrate milestones throughout the school year.
To create an effective goal tracking poster, have students identify specific goals, use a template or start from scratch, add visual elements like colors and images, and display the posters in the classroom. Laminating posters allows for reusable tracking with dry-erase markers or stickers.
Students can track progress on posters using stickers, color-coded checkmarks, progress bars, or by filling in sections as they achieve milestones. Laminated posters allow for easy updates and reuse throughout the year.
Visual goal tracking helps students see their progress, making goals feel attainable and keeping them engaged. It provides daily reminders and boosts motivation by celebrating small successes on the way to bigger achievements.
Yes, there are goal tracking poster templates designed for grades 6–12 that incorporate age-appropriate themes, customizable sections, and space for personalizing with colors, book lists, or specific class objectives.