Lesson Plan

Identifying Time Wasting Activities and Developing Effective Time Management

Grade Level: 6-12

Length: 45-60 minutes

DE Domain: VAR

  • Identifying time-wasting activities and distractions.
  • Developing strategies for effective time management.

This lesson empowers students to identify and overcome time management challenges through practical self-assessment and strategic planning. By examining their own time-wasting behaviors and learning research-backed management techniques, students develop crucial self-awareness and actionable strategies for academic and personal success. The collaborative nature of the activities allows students to learn from peers while building skills in prioritization, goal-setting, and productive habit formation. Through guided reflection and real-world application, students gain concrete tools to enhance their productivity, reduce procrastination, and better align their daily choices with their long-term goals.

VAR.5- Practice and demonstrate self-awareness of thought processes and behavior

VAR.6- Practice and demonstrate self-regulation and self-direction.

Lesson:

Engage (5 minutes):

  • Discuss the Eisenhower Matrix: Introduce the four quadrants (urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, neither urgent nor important) and how to categorize tasks into these quadrants.

Apply (30 minutes):

Activity 1 (15 Minutes)

  • Distribute sticky notes or index cards to participants.
  • Ask participants to think about tasks they need to complete in their personal or professional lives.
  • Instruct participants to write one task per sticky note or index card.
  • Display a large version of the Eisenhower Matrix on a whiteboard or screen.
  • Have participants come up one by one to place their sticky notes or index cards in the appropriate quadrant on the displayed matrix.
  • Encourage participants to explain their reasoning for placing each task in a specific quadrant.

Discussion

  • Ask participants to share their observations about the distribution of tasks in each quadrant.
  • Discuss common challenges they face in managing tasks and priorities.
  • Facilitate a conversation about how effective prioritization can lead to improved time management and productivity.

Activity 2 (15 Minutes)

  • Divide participants into teams of 3-4 members.
  • Explain the rules: Each team will have a limited amount of time (e.g., 2 minutes) to prioritize and arrange the tasks in order of importance, placing the most important task at the top.
  • Distribute the task cards to each team.
  • Start the timer and instruct teams to work together to prioritize the tasks by arranging them in order of importance on a table or whiteboard.
  • Encourage teams to consider urgency, impact, and alignment with goals while prioritizing.
  • Stop the timer when the time is up.
  • Review the prioritization order of tasks for each team and score them based on the assigned point values.

Discussion:

  • Ask teams to share their thought process behind their prioritization choices.
  • Discuss any differences in prioritization strategies between teams.
  • Highlight the challenges of managing time and making decisions under pressure.

Reflect (5 minutes):

Journal Entry

  • The importance of considering urgency and importance when prioritizing tasks.
  • The benefits of teamwork and collaboration in decision-making.
  • The role of effective time management in achieving goals.

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