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.
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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.
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Just One Word Project - New Year's Resolution Activity
Inspire your students to reflect and set one-word goals for the new year with a “Just One Word” project.
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New Year Goal Setting Activities - Flip Book Template
Inspire your students to reflect and set goals for the new year with a Goal Setting flipbook template.
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New Year Goal Setting Selfie Project
Inspire your students to reflect and set goals for the new year with a New Year Goal Setting Selfie Project.
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Printable Bookmarks - Mindful Coloring
Bring calm to the classroom with these mindfulness coloring bookmarks.
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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.
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Morning Affirmations for Kids - Writing Worksheets
Complete and read aloud these positive affirmations for kids.
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Bingo Game – Coping Skills for Kids
Review calming strategies and coping skills for kids with a game of Bingo!
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Yeti for a New Year! Goal Setting Craft Template
Get “Yeti” for a new year with a fun New Year Goal Setting Craft Template.
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Mindfulness for Kids - Daily Journal Worksheet
Create a mindfulness journal by printing your students copies of reflective mindfulness worksheets.
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Mindfulness Activities for Kids - Backpack Craft and Book
Promote mindfulness and social and emotional learning with this Mindfulness Backpack activity.
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New Year's Resolution and Goal Setting Workbook - Upper Grades
Learn about celebrations and make New Year’s resolutions with this 15-page activity booklet.
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Managing Anger Worksheet (Intermediate)
Help older students identify and manage angry feelings with this self-reflection and action plan worksheet.
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Managing Anger Worksheet (Primary)
Help students identify and manage their anger with this self-relfection worksheet
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Australian Animals Mindfulness Bookmarks
Practice mindfulness and keep track of your reading with these Australian Animals Mindfulness Bookmarks!
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Rockin' School Year - First Day of School Printable Craftivity
Set goals to have a rockin’ school year with a first day of school printable writing craftivity.
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Personalized Positive Self-Talk Statements - Worksheet
Face challenges with positivity and a growth mindset by compiling a personalized list of positive self-talk statements.
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My Body Warning Signs - Worksheet
Help students identify the body signs that indicate they are feeling unsafe with this cut and paste worksheet.
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Positive and Negative Coping Skills - Sorting Activity
Explore the difference between positive and negative coping skills with these real-life scenario sorting cards.
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Let's Be Sharp! Goal Setting Craftivity
Set a positive tone and start the school year with a Let’s Be Sharp! Goal Setting Craftivity.
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Positive and Negative Coping Skills Worksheet
Identify positive and negative coping skills with this real-life scenarios worksheet.
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Managing Anger Scenario Cards
Explore ways to manage anger in a variety of real-life situations with this set of 16 scenario cards.
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What Is Anger? Poster
Teach your students to understand and manage anger with this informative classroom display poster.
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Understanding and Managing Anxiety Teaching Presentation
Teach your students about anxious feelings with this comprehensive guide to understanding and managing anxiety.
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Managing Anxiety Scenario Cards
Explore ways to manage anxiety in a variety of real-life situations with this set of 16 scenario cards.
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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Intermediate)
Help older students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection and action plan worksheet.
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Managing Anxiety Worksheet (Primary)
Help students identify and manage anxious feelings with this self-reflection worksheet.
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What Is Anxiety? Poster
Teach your students to understand and manage anxious feelings with this informative classroom display poster.
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Circle of Control Poster
Display this poster in your classroom to remind students about the things in life they can and cannot control.
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I Can Help My Brain to Learn — Printable Classroom Posters
Display these classroom posters to remind your students of things they can do to ensure the three brains are functioning at their best.
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Calming Strategies A-Z Poster
Help students find coping methods with our classroom display poster highlighting 26 effective strategies for handling intense emotions.
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New Year Goal Setting Worksheets - Firework Template
Prompt students to set various personal and academic goals at the start of the new year with our fireworks-themed goal-setting template.
- 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