Beat Procrastination: Case Studies and a Plan

SubstitutePlans.com
Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL
SP-STUDY-008 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
Beat Procrastination: Case Studies and a Plan
Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL · Grades 9-12 · 50 minutes
Time needed
50 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student). No other prep.
Technology
None. Students may use a classroom clock to time themselves.
Student
independence
High. Students work alone.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet, Classroom clock
Goal for today: Students will identify reasons for procrastination, match strategies to case studies, and break a
project into steps with dates.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ Optional: note the day of the week on the board so students can count days.
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk.
Say this to start
Good morning! Almost everyone puts things off sometimes. Today you are going to look at why that happens and what
helps. You will read three short stories about students, choose strategies that fit, and then build a plan for a big
project. This is a practical lesson, so be honest about what actually works for you.
Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance the way the school requires. Hand out the
worksheet face down.
Settle in and take out a pencil.
5–12
Ask the class: “What is something you put off this week?”
Take two or three answers. Do not judge. Say: “Today we
are looking for strategies.”
Share a quick example if they want to.
12–22
Tell students to read “Why we put things off” and answer
questions 1 through 4.
Read and answer the multiple-choice
questions.
22–32
Tell students to answer questions 5 and 6, which are math
problems about planning time.
Solve the two problems and show their
thinking.
32–44
Tell students to complete true/false 7 through 9 and then
build the plan in the table and answer questions 10 and 11.
Break a project into steps with dates, then
reflect.
44–50
Collect the worksheets. If time remains, ask volunteers to
share one strategy they plan to try.
Hand in the worksheet.

SubstitutePlans.com
Study Skills and Advisory · Study Hall / Advisory / SEL
SP-STUDY-008 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 3
If things go wrong
• If students say they work better under pressure, ask them to describe a time that backfired. Then continue
the lesson.
• If a student says they are overwhelmed by schoolwork or life, listen kindly. Follow your school’s procedure
and tell the office or counselor if you are worried.
• If students are distracted, remind them that the goal is to find one strategy that works for them.
• If students finish early, use the early finisher tasks.
Early finishers
• Write a short list of the three biggest distractions in your study space and how to reduce each.
• Design a reward you could use after finishing a hard task. Explain why it would work.
Support and challenge
• Support: Tell students to plan with the sample project in the table and skip the extra reflection.
• Challenge: Ask students to apply the planning table to a real project they have now.
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:
Anything the teacher should know: