lenny

Attendance Matters

user image

Lesson Plan

Attendance Matters Lesson Plan

Students will identify personal and systemic barriers to attendance, set a SMART attendance goal for the next two weeks, and create a concrete action plan to improve their daily attendance.

Chronic absenteeism undermines academic success, engagement, and well-being. This lesson empowers 10th graders to self-manage attendance challenges by diagnosing barriers, setting personal goals, and committing to actionable steps.

Audience

10th Grade

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Barrier analysis, goal setting & action planning

Materials

Prep

Standards Alignment and Material Review

5 minutes

Step 1

Warm-up: Identifying Attendance Barriers

5 minutes

  • Present a brief scenario of a student missing multiple classes.
  • Ask: “Why might a student miss school?”
  • Students discuss with a partner for 1 minute.
  • Collect 4–6 reasons and list them on the board (no judgment).

Step 2

Main Activity: Categorizing Barriers

10 minutes

  • Distribute the Barriers Brainstorm Chart.
  • In groups of 3–4, students sort common barriers into Internal (e.g., motivation), External (e.g., family issues), and Logistical (e.g., transportation).
  • Each group selects their top two barriers to share aloud.
  • Facilitate a quick whole-class discussion on patterns noticed.

Step 3

Worksheet Activity: Setting SMART Attendance Goals

10 minutes

  • Hand out the Personal Attendance Goals Worksheet.
  • Guide students to draft one SMART goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) for improving attendance over the next two weeks.
  • Circulate to provide feedback and ensure goals are realistic and tied to identified barriers.

Step 4

Cool-down: Action Planning and Reflection

5 minutes

  • Give each student the Attendance Action Plan Template and Attendance Reflection Exit Ticket.
  • Students list at least two concrete steps they will take to meet their goal (e.g., set alarm earlier, arrange a ride).
  • On the exit ticket, they note one barrier, their SMART goal, and one action step they commit to this week.
  • Collect exit tickets as students leave.
lenny

Slide Deck

Attendance Matters

Improving Attendance Together

• Research-backed approach
• Identify barriers
• Set goals & actions

Welcome students and introduce the lesson: “Today we’ll explore why attendance matters and learn a proven strategy to improve your attendance. Our goal is to support each other and set realistic goals.”

Why Attendance Matters

• Attendance drives academic success
• Builds routines & habits
• Strengthens relationships with teachers & peers

Explain why attendance impacts learning: “Missing class means missing content, skills, and connections. Consistent attendance builds momentum and confidence.”

Warm-up: Identifying Barriers

In pairs, discuss:
• Why might a student miss school?

Be ready to share 2–3 reasons.

Warm-up instructions: “Turn to a partner. Take 1 minute to list reasons a student might miss school. We’ll share aloud.”

Categorizing Barriers

Using the Barriers Brainstorm Chart:

  1. Sort common barriers into:
    • Internal
    • External
    • Logistical
  2. Pick your top 2 to share.

Distribute the Barriers Brainstorm Chart. “Sort barriers into Internal, External, and Logistical. Then choose your top two to share.”

Setting SMART Attendance Goals

On the Personal Attendance Goals Worksheet:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time-bound

Hand out the Personal Attendance Goals Worksheet. “Draft one SMART goal for the next two weeks. I’ll circulate to provide feedback.”

Action Planning

Using the Attendance Action Plan Template:

• List 2 concrete steps to reach your goal
• Identify supports you’ll use

Distribute the Attendance Action Plan Template. “List at least two concrete steps you’ll take—like setting an earlier alarm or arranging a ride.”

Reflection Exit Ticket

Complete the Attendance Reflection Exit Ticket:

  1. One barrier you face
  2. Your SMART goal
  3. One action step commitment

Explain exit ticket procedure: “On this ticket, note one barrier, your SMART goal, and one step you commit to this week. I’ll collect as you leave.”

lenny

Worksheet

Barriers Brainstorm Chart

In your group of 3–4, sort the list of attendance barriers into the categories below. Write at least four items in each column. Be prepared to share your top two barriers with the class.

Internal BarriersExternal BarriersLogistical Barriers
1. ___________________________



1. ___________________________



1. ___________________________



2. ___________________________



2. ___________________________



2. ___________________________



3. ___________________________



3. ___________________________



3. ___________________________



4. ___________________________



4. ___________________________



4. ___________________________



• #1 ____________________________________
• #2 ____________________________________

lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Personal Attendance Goals Worksheet

Think about the barrier you identified in your group. Use the SMART criteria below to create a clear attendance goal for the next two weeks.

  1. Barrier to address:
    _________________________________



  2. SMART Goal Components:

    • Specific: What exactly will you do?
      _________________________________



    • Measurable: How will you measure your progress?
      _________________________________



    • Achievable: What supports or resources will help you succeed?
      _________________________________



    • Relevant: Why is this goal important to you?
      _________________________________



    • Time-bound: By when will you achieve this?
      _________________________________



  3. Complete SMART Goal Statement:
    “My SMART attendance goal is:
    _________________________________”





  4. Tracking Progress:
    How will you keep track of your attendance each week?
    _________________________________





  5. Accountability Plan:
    Who will check in with you, and how often?
    _________________________________



lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Attendance Action Plan Template

My SMART Attendance Goal:
__________________________________________





1. Action Steps

List at least two concrete steps you will take to meet your goal.

  1. __________________________________________



  2. __________________________________________



  3. __________________________________________ (optional)



Deadlines for Each Step:

  • Step 1 by: ________________
  • Step 2 by: ________________
  • Step 3 by: ________________


2. Supports & Resources

Who or what will help you succeed? (e.g., family member, teacher, alarm app)

  • _________________________________________________



  • _________________________________________________



3. Potential Obstacles & Solutions

Identify challenges you might face and how you’ll overcome them.

ObstacleSolution
1. _____________________________1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________2. _____________________________

4. Progress Check-ins

Plan who will monitor your progress and how often.

  • Who: ______________________________________



  • How often: ______________________________________



5. Reflection (End of Week)

At the end of the week, complete this reflection:

What worked well?
__________________________________________




What will you adjust next week?
__________________________________________



lenny
lenny

Worksheet

Attendance Reflection Exit Ticket

Name: ____________________________ Date: ________________


  1. One barrier I faced this week:
    _________________________________





  2. My SMART attendance goal:
    _________________________________





  3. One action step I committed to:
    _________________________________





  4. Reflection: Did you meet your goal this week? Why or why not?
    _________________________________










  5. Adjustment for next week:
    _________________________________





lenny
lenny