Solving Organizational Challenges in High School: Executive Function Strategies That Empower Students

Posted In Behaviors On May 6, 2025

High school teachers across all subjects face a common classroom frustration—students who aren’t prepared, can’t keep track of their work, or struggle to complete multi-step assignments. These organizational challenges are more than just forgetfulness or laziness; they are often rooted in executive function skill deficits. When we recognize and respond to these difficulties with intentional executive function instruction, we create pathways for student empowerment, improved academic performance, and increased student engagement.

Understanding Organizational Challenges

A student’s disorganized backpack, missed assignments, or incomplete projects may seem like a simple motivation issue. But these are often symptoms of a deeper problem with the executive function skill of organization. Students who struggle with organizational challenges frequently:

1. Forget materials or assignments needed for class.
2. Struggle to make sense of reading by failing to sort key concepts from details.
3. Have difficulty planning, sequencing, or completing projects that require multiple steps.

These behaviors aren’t character flaws—they are signs of unmet executive function learning needs. To respond effectively, educators must understand the executive function definition: the set of mental skills that help individuals manage their thoughts, actions, and emotions to achieve goals. In this case, the executive function skill of organization supports students in developing systems to keep track of information, materials, and tasks.

Click here to read “What is Organization?” and explore how it supports student success.

Executive Function Explained Through Real Classroom Examples

Imagine a student who never seems to have the right materials—papers are crumpled in their bag, and they’ve lost their login for an assignment platform. Another student reads a passage and can’t tell you the main idea because they’ve latched on to an unrelated detail. A third student has a brilliant project idea but can’t get started because they don’t know where to begin.

Each of these students is facing organizational challenges, and traditional student behavior management approaches—like scolding, deducting points, or calling home—don’t address the underlying issue. What they need are executive function interventions and tools that help them learn how to organize materials, ideas, and tasks.

Teaching Executive Function Skills to Address Organizational Challenges

To address these issues, we need executive function instruction built into our classrooms. The good news is that executive function strategies can be embedded into academic content and daily routines. Here are a few targeted approaches:

For the unprepared student

• Teach them how to create and use a materials checklist. Pair this with a consistent routine of checking for necessary items at the beginning and end of each class. Over time, this builds habits that reduce forgetfulness and improve the student’s organization.

For the student struggling with reading comprehension

• Use graphic organizers that help students break down texts by identifying main ideas, supporting details, and connections. This visual structure acts as a strategy to build organizational thinking.

For the student who struggles with projects

• Teach backward planning—show students how to break a large task into smaller parts, assign deadlines, and monitor their progress. This executive function strategy not only builds organizational skills but also strengthens student confidence.

Each of these techniques is part of a larger executive function system—an intentional set of strategies and routines designed to meet student learning needs and improve student performance.

Building Student Confidence Through Executive Function Learning

When students receive executive function instruction that directly addresses their organizational challenges, they feel more in control of their learning. This sense of control is key to increasing student confidence and reducing classroom disruptions caused by anxiety, avoidance, or frustration.

Furthermore, as students experience success with these skills, their social skills and participation improve. They’re more likely to ask for help, collaborate with peers, and take initiative on assignments. These outcomes are not only academic—they’re personal wins that help teens feel capable and competent.

Incorporating Executive Function Lessons Into Daily Teaching

Whether you’re teaching Algebra, English Literature, or U.S. History, there are countless ways to integrate executive function lessons that target organizational challenges. For instance:

• Create and model the use of checklists or planning templates.
• Allow time at the beginning or end of class for students to organize their materials or reflect on their progress.
• Use anchor charts and posted schedules to support visual organization.
• Incorporate peer check-ins for long-term projects.

These student engagement strategies not only support the development of organizational skills but also reduce stress for both students and teachers.

Solving Executive Function Challenges One Skill at a Time

• By understanding executive function and focusing on organizational challenges, high school educators can shift from reacting to student disorganization to proactively teaching essential life skills. Through consistent use of executive function tools, executive function instruction, and responsive supports, we can dramatically improve students’ academic performance while also building habits that last a lifetime.

What to Learn More?

• Identify your students’ executive functioning needs
• Explore how the Cerebrate platform provides a customized executive function curriculum