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Overcoming Procrastination

Eleventh graders build self-management by beating procrastination — noticing avoidance, finding its cause, breaking the task into a tiny first step, and just starting. Momentum does the rest. They order the strategy, then tackle a task they’ve been putting off.

Grade 11Overcoming Procrastination45 minutes1 class periodCASELExplicit teaching4 StandardsCASEL
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Notice avoidance.
  • ✓Find the cause.
  • ✓Take a tiny step.
  • ✓Build momentum.
Essential Question

Why do we put off things we know we should do — and how do we start?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Anti-Procrastination Steps

Project this and have students put the steps in order.

🚀 Put the anti-procrastination steps in orderTry it
Tap the first step to beat procrastination!
The Lesson · Explicit teaching

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Check-In — Putting It Off

4 min

What’s something you keep avoiding — and why do you think you do?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Reflect quietly.
  • Share if you like.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Reflect.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Learn — Procrastination

11 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Steps.
  • Order them.
  • Note break it into a tiny step.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

14 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a task you’re avoiding.
  • Find the real reason.
  • Name a tiny first step.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name.
  • Why.
  • Step.
4

Apply — Apply

11 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Set a timer and start.
  • Remove one distraction.
  • Do the first step now.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Timer.
  • Remove.
  • Start.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • What’s the first step?
  • Why break it down?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CASEL Framework for Social and Emotional Learning across its five core competencies.

CASEL
Self-Management

Use strategies to stay on task.

CASEL
Self-Management

Manage time and motivation.

CASEL
Self-Awareness

Identify what causes avoidance.

CASEL
Responsible Decision-Making

Follow through on goals.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Step cards.
  • Frame: "first I notice, then ___."
  • Try one tiny step.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Use 3 core steps.
  • Pick a small task.
  • Set a 5-min timer.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Use the Pomodoro method.
  • Design an anti-distraction setup.
  • Track follow-through.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • ⏱️Timer
  • 💻Order the Steps
  • 📋Task plan
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

procrastinationputting off tasksavoidancestaying away from somethingoverwhelmfeeling it’s too muchmomentummotion that buildsdistractionsomething that pulls focustiny stepa very small starttimera tool to time focusfollow-throughfinishing what you start
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What’s the first anti-procrastination step?
Notice when you’re avoiding a task.
QUESTION 2
Why break a task into a tiny step?
Starting small beats the block and builds momentum.
QUESTION 3
What does momentum do?
It carries you through the rest once you’ve started.

Reflect: overcoming procrastination.

Have students take a tiny first step on a task they’ve been avoiding. A printable task plan is in the SEL library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Self-Management: Overcoming ProcrastinationFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Self-Management: Overcoming ProcrastinationQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Self-Management: Overcoming ProcrastinationPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: avoidance, distraction, follow-through, momentum, overwhelm, procrastination, timer, tiny step
  1. feeling it’s too much
  2. something that pulls focus
  3. a very small start
  4. a tool to time focus
  5. staying away from something
  6. motion that builds
  7. finishing what you start
  8. putting off tasks

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What’s the first anti-procrastination step?
  2. Why break a task into a tiny step?
  3. What does momentum do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) overwhelm · 2) distraction · 3) tiny step · 4) timer · 5) avoidance · 6) momentum · 7) follow-through · 8) procrastination
Part B: 1) Notice when you’re avoiding a task. 2) Starting small beats the block and builds momentum. 3) It carries you through the rest once you’ve started.