Time Tamer Worksheet: Take Control of Your Time!

Name: _________________________ Date: _____________

Part 1: My Current Time Challenge

Think about your daily life. What is one specific challenge you face with time management or organization? (e.g., forgetting assignments, messy backpack, always feeling rushed)

Part 2: Explore Time-Taming Strategies

Here are some strategies we discussed. Read through them and think about which ones could help you.

Strategy A: The Powerful To-Do List

• What it is: Writing down all your tasks (homework, chores, appointments, fun activities).
• How it helps: You won't forget tasks, and checking things off feels great!
• My thoughts:
  
  
  

Strategy B: Prioritize Like a Pro

• What it is: Deciding which tasks are most important and need to be done first.
• How it helps: You focus your energy on what truly matters, reducing last-minute stress.
• My thoughts:
  
  
  

Strategy C: Your Organized Oasis

• What it is: Having a specific, tidy place for studying and keeping your school supplies.
• How it helps: You save time searching for things and can focus better in a clean space.
• My thoughts:
  
  
  

Part 3: My Time-Taming Commitment

From the strategies above (A, B, or C), choose one or two that you want to try this week. Explain why you chose them and how you plan to use them.

I commit to trying Strategy(ies): _________________________

Here's how I will use it/them (be specific!):

What's one small change I can make starting TODAY?

Teacher Script: Master Your Time, Master Your Life!

Warm-Up: The Time Crunch Challenge (5 minutes)

(Display Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 1: "Master Your Time, Master Your Life!")

"Good morning/afternoon, everyone! Today, we're going to tackle something I think almost all of us feel at some point: the feeling that there just aren't enough hours in the day.

Raise your hand if you've ever felt like you're constantly rushing, or that you have so much to do you don't know where to start? [Pause for hands, acknowledge a few.]

What makes you feel 'time-crunched'? What kinds of things make you feel overwhelmed with tasks? Feel free to share an example, but you don't have to share anything too personal."

[Facilitate a brief discussion. Allow 2-3 students to share. Keep it light and relatable.]

Introduction to Time & Organization (8 minutes)

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 2: "What Are We Talking About?")

"Thanks for sharing! Those feelings are totally normal, especially in middle school when you have more homework, activities, and personal responsibilities. That's why today, we're going to talk about two super important skills: Time Management and Organization.

Time management is simply about planning how you spend your time to get things done effectively. And organization is about keeping your belongings and information in an orderly way so you can find what you need when you need it.

Now, let's look at why these skills are so important not just for school, but for your entire life."

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 3: "Why Does It Matter?")

"As you can see, the benefits of getting good at these skills are huge! Less stress, better grades, more free time for things you enjoy, and just feeling more in control. On the flip side, not having good habits can lead to a lot of stress, missed assignments, and feeling constantly overwhelmed. Our goal today is to give you some tools to get those benefits!"

Activity: Time Tamer Strategies (12 minutes)

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 4: "Strategy 1: The Powerful To-Do List")

"Let's dive into some practical strategies you can start using right away. Our first strategy is The Powerful To-Do List.

Who here uses a to-do list already? [Pause for hands.] Great! For those who don't, it's exactly what it sounds like: a list of everything you need to do. The trick is to write down even small things, and especially to break down big tasks into smaller, manageable steps. Instead of 'Study for Science Test,' you might write: 'Review Chapter 3 notes,' 'Do practice quiz online,' 'Make flashcards for vocabulary.' Checking things off gives you a real boost!"

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 5: "Strategy 2: Prioritize Like a Pro")

"Next up is Prioritize Like a Pro. This means deciding which tasks are most important and need to be done first. Think about what's urgent – needs to be done soon – and what's important – has a big impact on your grades or well-being. Tackle those urgent and important tasks first. Your friend's birthday party is important, but your homework due tomorrow is urgent and important!"

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 6: "Strategy 3: Your Organized Oasis")

"Our third strategy is creating Your Organized Oasis. This means having a specific, tidy place for studying and keeping all your school supplies. It could be a corner of your room, a desk, or even just a dedicated box for your binders and notebooks. When everything has a 'home,' you save so much time not searching for things, and a clean space helps your brain focus better."

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 7: "Your Turn: Become a Time Tamer!")

"Now it's your turn to think about these strategies. I'm going to hand out this Time Tamer Worksheet.

First, quickly write down one time management or organization challenge you currently face. Then, read through the descriptions of the three strategies on the worksheet. In Part 3, I want you to choose one or two strategies that you genuinely want to try this week. Be specific about how you'll use them. You have about 7-8 minutes to work on this independently."

[Distribute worksheets. Circulate and assist students as they work. After 7-8 minutes, call for attention.]

"Alright, let's hear from a few of you. Who would like to share one strategy they chose and briefly explain why? There are no wrong answers here – it's about finding what works for you!"

[Call on 2-3 volunteers or have students share quickly with a partner.]

Wrap-Up: My Time-Taming Commitment (5 minutes)

(Transition to Master Your Time Slide Deck - Slide 8: "My Time-Taming Commitment")

"Excellent ideas, everyone! To wrap things up, look back at your worksheet. In the last section, write down just one small, actionable change you can make starting today to improve your time management or organization. It could be something like 'I will write down all my homework in my planner tonight' or 'I will put my backpack in the same spot every day.'

Remember, small changes add up to big improvements. Taking control of your time and responsibilities will make a huge positive difference in your school life and beyond. Thank you for participating!"

[Collect worksheets if desired, or let students keep them as a reminder.]