Moment Masters: Prioritizing Your Time

catherine

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Moment Masters: Prioritizing Your Time

To equip students with practical time management and organizational skills, enabling them to identify priorities, break down tasks, and reduce procrastination for increased productivity and reduced stress.

Effective time management is crucial for academic success, personal well-being, and future professional endeavors. Mastering these skills helps students manage workload, reduce anxiety, and achieve their goals.

Audience

9th-12th Grade and Undergraduate Students

Time

60-75 minutes

Approach

Hands-on activities, discussion, and practical planning.

Materials

Smartboard or Projector, Moment Masters Slide Deck, Time Tamer Worksheet, Prioritization Power Activity Cards, Reflection Journal, and Pens/Pencils

Prep

Teacher Preparation

20 minutes

Review the Moment Masters Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content.
Print copies of the Time Tamer Worksheet (one per student).
Prepare the Prioritization Power Activity Cards (cut out individual task cards).
Ensure access to a projector or smartboard.
Review the Reflection Journal prompts.

Step 1

Warm-Up: The Time Crunch

10 minutes

Begin by displaying a thought-provoking question on the board or Moment Masters Slide Deck (Slide 1): "What's one thing you wish you had more time for, and why?"
Allow students a few minutes to silently reflect or jot down their thoughts.
Facilitate a brief class discussion, encouraging students to share their responses and common challenges related to time.
Introduce the lesson's purpose: to become 'Moment Masters' and take control of their time.

Step 2

Understanding Time Management

15 minutes

Use the Moment Masters Slide Deck (Slides 2-4) to introduce key concepts: identifying priorities, the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent/Important), and breaking down large tasks.
Explain the

Step 3

Activity: Prioritization Power

20 minutes

Divide students into small groups (3-4 students).
Distribute the Prioritization Power Activity Cards to each group.
Instruct groups to categorize the tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent/Important, Urgent/Not Important, Not Urgent/Important, Not Urgent/Not Important) and discuss their reasoning.
Circulate and guide discussions, clarifying concepts and providing feedback.
Bring the class back together to share some of their prioritization decisions and the challenges they faced.

Step 4

Applying Strategies: Time Tamer Worksheet

15 minutes

Distribute the Time Tamer Worksheet to each student.
Explain how to use the worksheet to plan out a specific upcoming week or day, incorporating the prioritization and task-breaking strategies discussed.
Encourage students to identify one or two personal tasks they tend to procrastinate on and apply the

Step 5

Reflection and Wrap-Up

10 minutes

Instruct students to open their Reflection Journal or prepare a piece of paper.
Pose the following questions for individual reflection: "What's one new time management strategy you learned today that you will try to use? How do you think this strategy will help you?"
Facilitate a brief share-out, allowing a few students to share their reflections.
Conclude by reiterating the benefits of good time management and encouraging consistent practice.

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Slide Deck

Moment Masters: Prioritizing Your Time, Maximizing Your Day

What's one thing you wish you had more time for, and why?

Welcome students to the 'Moment Masters' lesson. Start with this engaging question to get them thinking about time and their personal challenges. Encourage a brief share-out after a minute of reflection.

Becoming a Moment Master

It's not about having more time, it's about making the most of the time you have.

Why master your moments?

Reduce stress and anxiety
Increase productivity
Achieve your goals
More free time for what you love!

Introduce the core idea: time management isn't about working more, but working smarter. Emphasize the benefits listed, linking back to their earlier shared challenges.

Step 1: Identify Your Priorities

Before you can manage your time, you need to know what to focus on.

Ask yourself:

What tasks are most important?
What absolutely needs to get done?
What are my biggest goals this week/month?

Explain the importance of identifying what truly matters. Ask students to consider what their top 3 priorities are (academic, personal, etc.) for the upcoming week.

The Eisenhower Matrix: Urgent vs. Important

A powerful tool to help you prioritize tasks:

Urgent & Important (Do First): Crises, deadlines, pressing problems.
Not Urgent & Important (Plan/Schedule): Prevention, relationships, new opportunities, planning.
Urgent & Not Important (Delegate/Eliminate): Interruptions, some emails, some meetings.
Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate): Time wasters, busywork.

Introduce the Eisenhower Matrix. Explain each quadrant clearly with examples. This is a critical tool for prioritization. You can draw it on the board or use a handout if you wish.

Step 2: Break It Down, Build It Up!

Big tasks can feel impossible. Break them into smaller, manageable 'chunks'.

Example: Write a Research Paper

Choose topic & brainstorm
Research sources
Create outline
Write introduction
Write body paragraph 1
...and so on!

Discuss how large tasks can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination. Introduce the 'Chunking' method. Provide a simple example like 'Write an Essay' broken down.

Step 3: Tackle Procrastination

Don't let delay steal your progress!

Strategies to beat procrastination:

Eat That Frog: Do your biggest, most unpleasant task first thing.
Pomodoro Technique: Work in focused bursts (e.g., 25 min work, 5 min break).
Set Realistic Deadlines: Give yourself firm but achievable timelines.
Remove Distractions: Turn off notifications, find a quiet space.

Explain the concept of 'Eat That Frog' – doing your most dreaded or difficult task first. Briefly mention the Pomodoro Technique as another strategy for focus.

Activity: Prioritization Power!

Time to put your prioritization skills to the test!

Working in your groups, use the activity cards to categorize tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. Be ready to explain your choices!

Transition to the activity. Explain that they will now apply what they've learned to real-world scenarios.

Your Turn: The Time Tamer Worksheet

Now, let's apply these strategies to your own life.

Use the Time Tamer Worksheet to plan out your upcoming week or a specific day. Identify your priorities and break down any daunting tasks.

Introduce the worksheet and explain its purpose: personal planning. Encourage them to be honest and realistic.

Reflect & Grow: Your Action Plan

Take a few minutes to reflect in your Reflection Journal:

What's one new time management strategy you learned today that you will try to use?
How do you think this strategy will help you achieve your goals and reduce stress?

Guide students to their journal for reflection. Emphasize thinking about how they will implement these strategies.

You Are The Master Of Your Moments!

Remember, time management is a skill that improves with practice.

Identify your priorities.
Break down big tasks.
Tackle procrastination head-on.

Take control of your time, achieve your goals, and live a more productive and less stressful life!

Summarize the key takeaways and encourage continued practice. End on a positive, empowering note.

Worksheet

Time Tamer Worksheet: Take Control of Your Schedule!

Welcome, Moment Master! This worksheet will help you apply the strategies we discussed to your own life. Get ready to prioritize, plan, and conquer your day!

Part 1: Prioritizing Your Tasks (Eisenhower Matrix)

Think about all the tasks you need to complete in the next week (school, work, personal, etc.). List them out, and then categorize them using the Eisenhower Matrix. Use the descriptions below to help you.

Urgent & Important (Do First): Deadlines, crises, pressing problems.
Not Urgent & Important (Plan/Schedule): Prevention, relationships, new opportunities, planning.
Urgent & Not Important (Delegate/Eliminate): Interruptions, some emails, some meetings.
Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate): Time wasters, busywork.

My Tasks for the Week:

Categorizing My Tasks:

Urgent & Important (DO NOW!):

Not Urgent & Important (PLAN IT!):

Urgent & Not Important (DELEGATE OR DO QUICKLY!):

Not Urgent & Not Important (AVOID/ELIMINATE!):

Part 2: Breaking Down Big Tasks

Choose one large, overwhelming task from your list above (or a new one) that you tend to procrastinate on. Break it down into at least 5 smaller, actionable steps.

Large Task:

Smaller Steps:

Part 3: My Time Tamer Action Plan

Looking at your prioritized and broken-down tasks, what is one specific action you will take in the next 24 hours to become a better Moment Master? Be specific!

My Action Plan:

Activity

Prioritization Power Activity Cards

Instructions for Groups:

As a group, read through each of the task cards below.
Discuss and decide which quadrant of the Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent & Important, Not Urgent & Important, Urgent & Not Important, Not Urgent & Not Important) each task belongs in.
Be prepared to explain why you placed each task in its chosen quadrant.

Task Cards

Task Card 1: Study for a big exam tomorrow.

Task Card 2: Reply to a non-urgent email from a friend.

Task Card 3: Start a long-term project due in three weeks.

Task Card 4: Attend an optional club meeting.

Task Card 5: Finish an assignment due in 30 minutes.

Task Card 6: Schedule a meeting with your academic advisor about your future plans.

Task Card 7: Scroll through social media for an hour.

Task Card 8: Call your family member just to chat.

Task Card 9: Go to the gym or exercise.

Task Card 10: Fix a broken essential item (e.g., laptop charger).

Journal

Moment Masters Reflection Journal

Take some time to reflect on what you've learned today about prioritizing your time and maximizing your day. Your honest thoughts and plans will help you become a true Moment Master!

Prompt 1: My Current Time Habits

Think about how you currently spend your time. What are some of your biggest time management challenges or habits that you would like to change? (e.g., procrastination, getting distracted, not knowing where to start).

Prompt 2: One Strategy to Master

Out of all the strategies we discussed today (Eisenhower Matrix, breaking down tasks, beating procrastination), which one resonates with you the most? Which one are you most excited or determined to try?

Prompt 3: Planning My Practice

Describe how you plan to incorporate this strategy into your daily or weekly routine. Be specific! What steps will you take? When will you start?

Prompt 4: The Impact

How do you think consistently applying this strategy will impact your schoolwork, personal life, or overall well-being? What benefits do you hope to see?