Attendance Matters!

Carolyn Goldy

Tier 3

Lesson Plan

Attendance Matters! Lesson Plan

Help a 10th-grade student improve attendance by identifying personal barriers and developing actionable, personalized strategies.

Improving attendance promotes academic success, responsibility, and better time management, essential for long-term achievement.

Audience

10th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion and personalized strategy building.

Materials

Attendance Matters! Lesson Plan, and Personal Barriers Worksheet

Prep

Preparation Checklist

10 minutes

Review the Attendance Matters! Lesson Plan for lesson overview and goals.
Prepare the Personal Barriers Worksheet for student use.
Ensure understanding of individual barriers and strategies for improvement.

Step 1

Introduction and Discussion

5 minutes

Briefly introduce the lesson focus and importance of attendance.
Engage the student in a discussion about current attendance challenges and personal barriers.

Step 2

Identify Barriers

10 minutes

Have the student complete the Personal Barriers Worksheet.
Review completed worksheets to identify key attendance barriers.
Validate feelings and provide empathetic responses to encourage open discussion.

Step 3

Develop Strategies

10 minutes

Collaboratively create actionable strategies to overcome identified barriers.
Discuss realistic steps to improve attendance (e.g., routine adjustments, parental involvement, or support services).
Summarize key action points for the student to implement.

Step 4

Closure

5 minutes

Recap the session and the strategies formed.
Set a follow-up check-in schedule to review progress.
Encourage the student to share their feelings about the new strategies.

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Worksheet

Personal Barriers Worksheet

This worksheet is designed to help you reflect on and identify personal barriers that have made it difficult for you to attend school regularly. Take your time to think through each question and write down your responses in the space provided.

1. Reflect on Attendance

What are some reasons you feel make it challenging for you to come to school every day?

2. Identify Specific Barriers

List two or three specific personal, logistical, or emotional challenges that have affected your attendance.

3. Explore Feelings

How do these challenges make you feel about school? Write down any thoughts or emotions you experience.

4. Consider Potential Solutions

Think about one or two ways that might help overcome each barrier you've identified. What support, changes, or adjustments could be made?

5. Set a Personal Goal

Based on your responses, what is one realistic attendance improvement goal you can commit to?

Use this worksheet to guide our conversation during today's session. Your thoughts and feelings are important and will help us work together to improve your attendance.