9 Teacher-Approved Time Management Activities for High School Students

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While high school spans four years, it may seem fleeting to teachers who see students quickly move through the grades. To equip students with the best tools for managing this time effectively, educators can focus on enhancing executive functioning skills such as prioritization, scaffolding, and organization through specialized time management activities.

1. Prioritize tasks for a work session

A desk piled with assignments can be daunting for high school students, especially when stress levels are high. To help them manage time better, focus on teaching task prioritization within a single work session, whether for classwork or homework.

1. Illustrate the Eisenhower Matrix on the board, explaining its four quadrants: Urgent/Important, Urgent/Not Important, Not Urgent/Important, Not Urgent/Not Important.
2. Encourage students to brainstorm tasks that fit into each quadrant, including homework, extracurricular activities, and home responsibilities. Have them fill out their own matrix for smaller assignments or work sessions.
3. Offer extra credit for including their matrix in assignments.

Make prioritization a part of the daily class routine

Prioritizing tasks can be difficult under heavy workloads. Foster these skills early by using resources that demonstrate prioritization and incorporating them into daily class activities.

SEL Warm Up Activities Executive Functioning High School Task Prioritization
By Learning through Love- Ali Ozeta
Grades: 7th-10th
Subject: Social Emotional Learning
Standard: CCRA.W.10

Start classes by emphasizing executive functioning through warm-up exercises centered on time management. These resources include teacher slides, comprehensive lesson plans, weekly routine structures, and journals for students to assess their executive functioning skills.

2. Break large projects into smaller parts

When students are assigned large projects, they often feel overwhelmed by the workload. Teaching them to break down projects into smaller, manageable tasks is a crucial skill across all subjects.

When assigning a project, demonstrate how to divide it into three or four main parts, then further break these into smaller tasks. Develop a timeline to ensure each task is completed on schedule. Students can collaborate in groups or work individually, and apply these strategies to future projects.

Scaffold large research projects into skill-based tasks

Creating a research project can be as demanding as completing one. Utilize ready-made resources to guide students through the research process, focusing on time management and executive functioning skills.

Research Project Scaffolding
By Sustainable ELA
Grades: 8th-12th
Subjects: English Language Arts, Writing, Writing-Essays
Standards: CCSS W.8.2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; W.9-10.2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; W.11-12.2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9; CCRA.W.2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9

This CCSS-aligned ELA resource provides students with the tools to plan, outline, draft, review, and refine a research project on any topic. It simplifies large projects into smaller tasks, enabling students to tackle their assignments in manageable portions.

3. Use categorized to-do lists

While traditional to-do lists are helpful, categorized lists that update regularly and track progress are more effective for longer projects. Teach students to maintain a to-do list and use it efficiently as a practical tool.

Once students are familiar with categorizing tasks within larger projects, such as using the Eisenhower Matrix, guide them to organize their to-do lists accordingly. They can apply the 1-3-5 strategy, focusing on completing one large task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks, or adjust their list to reflect ongoing progress.

Implement to-do lists regularly

Some students resort to to-do lists only when overwhelmed, which can be too late. Provide resources to teach to-do lists based on urgency and importance, ensuring no task is overlooked during daily assignments or busy periods.

Weekly Prioritizer – To Do List
By MrsSystems
Grades: PreK-12th

Equip students with the skills to differentiate between urgent and non-urgent tasks with an intuitive tool. Students use the Eisenhower Matrix to organize their assignments by urgency and importance, helping them decide which tasks to tackle immediately and which can be postponed.

4. Keep a time log

Students often misjudge how long they spend on assignments, believing it could take anywhere from ten minutes to all night. Introduce time management activities that involve keeping a time log to help them understand their time usage better.

Utilize time blocks during class to familiarize students with specific durations (e.g., 15 minutes). Distribute time log resources for them to apply these blocks to their study habits, and award participation points for maintaining accurate logs that reflect real commitments. Students can use the Pomodoro technique—25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break—or set timers to stay on track.

Master time management with a printable time log

Assignments may seem like they’ll take only five minutes but might require an hour or more. Encourage students to appreciate time management by using printable time logs that track time spent on specific tasks.

Time Log – Work Log Printable – Time Spent Tracker – Working Hours – Timesheet
By Coloring Bistro
Grades: 8th-12th

With a printable time tracker log, students can gain insight into the actual time spent on various tasks. This flexible resource, available in four color variations and different paper sizes, is a valuable addition to students’ assignment binders.

5. Map out your day

Students cannot plan their work sessions effectively if they are unaware of their day’s schedule. Begin each day or class period by having them map out their schedule to help allocate their time wisely and flexibly.

Instruct students to note each hour of the day at the start of the period, breaking it down into smaller increments if necessary. They may discover time slots where they can complete short or longer tasks, such as a few minutes between activities or an hour between extracurriculars. Encourage them to also plan for unexpected events to enhance flexibility and anticipate potential challenges in time management.

Use guides and templates to account for found time

While efficient time management is essential, high schoolers shouldn’t feel like they’re on a timer all day. Provide straightforward resources to improve executive functioning and visualize their time usage clearly.

Executive Functioning Activities, Time Management and To Do Lists for Students
By Rebekah Sayler
Grades: 5th-10th

This resource includes a variety of calendar templates, to-do lists, and task planning pages to assist students in organizing and executing their academic projects. It’s ideal for those who struggle with executive functioning, offering practical and engaging tools to promote independent work.

6. Maintain a weekly or monthly calendar

Not every day is suited for homework. Teach students to identify the best days of the week or month to catch up or get ahead on assignments.

1. At the start of the week or month, provide a printed template or instruct students to open their calendar app.
2. Have them input any non-academic commitments, such as sports practices, performances, trips, or holidays.
3. Next, integrate their academic schedule and identify any scheduling conflicts, like soccer practice before a project deadline.
4. Encourage them to arrange a work schedule that assigns more tasks to less busy days, allowing busier days to remain relatively task-free when possible.

7. Identify and eliminate distractions

Distractions can hinder time management, especially when they catch students off guard. It’s vital for them to recognize their personal challenges and develop strategies to stay focused.

1. As a class, list common distractions that prevent students from completing their work, both at school and at home.
2. Have students identify which distractions resonate with them personally.
3. Encourage them to devise strategies to avoid these distractions, such as having a snack ready before starting work to prevent interruptions.

While paper calendars have traditionally been used to teach study skills, their effectiveness varies. Students who naturally use these tools may succeed regardless, whereas those who don’t are the ones needing time management support.

Address this by offering a variety of organizational tools, including paper calendars, digital apps, and gamified programs. Allow students who prefer digital solutions to use them if they commit to their use, as the best tools are those they will consistently utilize.

9. Connect daily tasks to long-term goals

When daily tasks seem endless, students may lack motivation. Show them how these tasks contribute to achieving larger goals to boost their engagement.

Create a list of meaningful high school goals, including those achievable before and after graduation. Goals might include college admission, joining a varsity team, or increasing community involvement. Demonstrate how skills developed through project work can help achieve these goals beyond earning grades, fostering time management, self-discipline, and study skills that prepare them for post-graduation success.

Quick Time Management Tips for High Schoolers

Some time management strategies are simple and can be quickly taught to help students prepare for their future educational endeavors.

• Get things done early. Encourage setting personal deadlines well before official ones.
• Be realistic. Accurately estimate how long tasks will take.
• Use your weekends wisely. Optimize free time during weekends to ease the workload for the upcoming week.
• Don’t forget downtime. Ensure students recharge once tasks are managed.
• Ask for help when needed. Remind students that resources like parents, tutors, counselors, and teachers are available to support them.

Make the most of your time management activities with TPT

Whether juggling sports, advanced classes, or complex home lives, students need to master time management. Implementing effective strategies in school not only aids classroom success but also equips them with the tools and confidence to manage time in all areas of life. Explore more high school time management resources to suit your class environment, ensuring students are ready to face future challenges and manage their time effectively.