Self Management Teaching Resources
Help your students improve their self management skills with activities and printable worksheets created by teachers specifically for elementary and middle school students.
This teaching resource collection has been designed to help teachers help their students develop a host of skills from skills such as self control to impulse control and time management, goal setting. With digital and printable activities available, there is something to fit every lesson plan!
Best of all, each teaching resource has undergone rigorous review by the Teach Starter team to ensure it's ready for the classroom ... and your students!
Curious about teaching self management skills and looking for strategies that will work for your students? Read on for some tips from our expert teachers!
What Is Self Management? A Kid-Friendly Definition
Like so many lessons we teach, it can be helpful to start off by defining what self management actually means to give our students an understanding of the topic at hand. Here's a self management definition for kids from our teacher team:
Self-management means being in control of your own thoughts, feelings and actions. When we have good self management, we are able to make good choices and stay focused on our goals. Self management skills also help us to handle our emotions in a positive way.
Self Management Skills for Kids to Teach in the Classroom
As one of the core competencies of SEL, self management covers a fairly broad area. The skills that kids develop under this umbrella can include everything from means for control anxiety and anger to learning to set goals and make the changes necessary to meet them.
So what are the main skills you should be teaching? Here are some of the more common ones our teacher team focuses on with our students:
Resilience
We help our students develop resilience by teaching them how to bounce back from setbacks, cope with challenges and persevere — skills that they'll need long after they've left your classroom.
Self Control
The names are nearly synonymous, so it's hardly surprising that self control falls under the self management umbrella. Teaching kids these skills can involve discussing techniques they can use to manage their impulses and emotions
Goal Setting
Being able to set realistic and achievable goals — both short-term and long-term — falls under self management. With this in mind, it's important to also teach your students strategies to work toward their goals and track their progress.
Time Management
Helping your students understand the concept of time and teaching them to plan and organize their tasks and activities falls right in line with providing strategies to achieve their goals. Time management is also an essential life skill that will serve your students well into adulthood.
Task Initiation
While the level of independence and ability to initiate tasks is highly dependent on factors like age and person abilities, encouraging your students to start tasks promptly and independently is part of building those self management skills. This also involves helping them overcome procrastination or avoidance behaviors.
Organization
Teaching our students strategies for organizing their materials — whether it's keeping their desks tidy or returning borrowed materials to the appropriate place – is a key component of teaching them self management. As they get older, they should be able to take on more and more responsibility for keeping their belongings organized.
Responsibility
Speaking of responsibility, it's important to promote a sense of responsibility by encouraging students to take ownership of their actions in your classroom, to complete their assignments on time and to follow classroom rules.
- Plus Plan
Positive Affirmation for Kids — Printable Cards
Get 24 inspiring positive affirmations for kids on printable cards designed for teachers to encourage a growth mindset, self-confidence, and self-belief in your students.
- Plus Plan
What Can I Control? Interactive Emotional Regulation Activity
Help your students build emotional regulation skills with an interactive emotional control activity for classroom SEL instruction.
- Plus Plan
Mindfulness for Kids - Daily Journal Worksheet
Create a mindfulness journal by printing your students copies of reflective mindfulness worksheets.
- Free Plan
Learning Goals Template With a Mountain Theme
Use a free printable learning goals template with your students to take them to new heights this school year!
- Plus Plan
Koala Mindful Coloring Sheet
A koala mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Pattern Coloring (Version 4)
Use colors to create a pattern using this sheet.
- Plus Plan
Mindfulness Coloring Sheet - Landscape
A lovely mindfulness coloring sheet.
- Free Plan
Goal Grid - Goal Setting Template
Set goals for the new school year with a printable goal-setting template for kids.
- Plus Plan
Mindful Breathing Exercises Posters
Teach students mindful breathing exercises to use when they are emotionally overwhelmed with this set of 7 classroom posters.
- Plus Plan
Managing Big Emotions Anchor Charts
Help students manage emotions such as anger, fear, worry, sadness and happiness with this colorful set of anchor charts for your elementary school classroom.
- Plus Plan
Stress Management Techniques for Students Teaching Slides
Teach your students about stress management with this set of editable teaching slides.
- Plus Plan
Guided Meditation Script for Kids (Body Scan)
Share this body scan meditation script with students to help them to regulate their emotions by breathing mindfully.
- Plus Plan
Dealing with Bullying Teaching Slides
Teach your students about bullying and being resilient with an interactive slide deck.
- Plus Plan
Bingo Game – Coping Skills for Kids
Review calming strategies and coping skills for kids with a game of Bingo!
- Plus Plan
Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Backpack Craft and Book
Promote mindfulness and social and emotional learning with this Mindfulness Backpack activity.
- Plus Plan
30 Mindful Drawing Tasks — Meditation Drawing for Kids
30 mindfulness drawing tasks to promote calm in your classroom.
- Plus Plan
Pangolin Mindful Coloring Sheet
A pangolin mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Horse Mindful Coloring Sheet
A horse mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Crab Mindful Coloring Sheet
A crab mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Cockatoo Mindful Coloring Sheet
A cockatoo mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Octopus Mindful Coloring Sheet
An octopus mindful coloring sheet.
- Free Plan
Easter Bunny Mindful Coloring Sheet
Use this bunny-themed mindful coloring sheet for an Easter activity in the classroom.
- Plus Plan
End of Year Goal Setting Sheet
Create goals for the upcoming school year with this student template.
- Plus Plan
Stegosaurus Mindful Coloring Sheet
A stegosaurus mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Rhino Mindful Coloring Sheet
A rhino mindful coloring sheet.
- Plus Plan
Mindful Coloring and Breathing – Pinwheel Activity
Practice mindfulness through coloring and breathing with this paper pinwheel craft activity.
- Plus Plan
Mindfulness Teacher Information Sheet
New to teaching mindfulness? Read our information sheet with tips on how best to incorporate it into your classroom.
- Plus Plan
Pattern Coloring (Version 2)
Use colors to create a pattern using this sheet.
- Plus Plan
Pattern Coloring (Version 3)
Use colors to create a pattern using this sheet.
- Plus Plan
Yoga Poses for Kids - Task Cards
16 kid friendly yoga poses to display and use in the classroom for daily gross motor and fitness activities.
- Plus Plan
Dealing with Bullying Board Game
A fun board game for students to play when encouraging the use of resilience strategies.
- Plus Plan
I Need a Break! Card Templates
Help your students regulate their emotions by presenting them with an ‘I Need a Break!’ card for a few minutes of downtime.
- Self Management Templates
- Self Management Worksheets
- Self Management Posters
- Self Management Games
- Self Management for Kindergarten
- Self Management for 1st Grade
- Self Management for 2nd Grade
- Self Management for 3rd Grade
- Self Management for 4th Grade
- Self Management for 5th Grade
- Self Management for 6th Grade