Why Students Struggle to Plan — And What High School Teachers Can Do About It

Posted In Behaviors On April 15, 2025

If you’ve ever had a student miss a deadline, cram for a test at the last minute, or freeze up when assigned a long-term project, you’ve seen what it looks like when students struggle to plan. These aren’t isolated incidents of laziness or lack of motivation—they’re often signs of an executive function skill deficit in the area of planning. Understanding the root cause of these behaviors can help high school teachers better support student learning, boost engagement, and improve student outcomes.

When students struggle to plan, it affects their academic success, confidence, and classroom behavior. Many teens haven’t yet developed the executive function skills necessary to break down tasks, manage time, and prepare for what’s ahead. Without explicit instruction and the right tools, these students can feel overwhelmed and fall behind—despite their best intentions.

Executive Function Explained: Planning as a Foundational Skill

Executive function refers to a set of mental processes that help people manage themselves and their resources to achieve a goal. These include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control—but at the heart of it is planning.

When we talk about students who struggle to plan, we’re talking about those who:

Struggle to plan ahead and begin with enough time

These students may wait until the night before to start an essay or feel paralyzed when they know something big is due. They can’t visualize how long tasks will take or when they need to begin.

Have difficulty planning for tests

They might neglect to review study materials in advance or study inefficiently, unsure of what to prioritize or when to begin.

Struggle to plan for projects

Multi-step assignments become overwhelming. They may miss checkpoints or turn in incomplete work—not because they don’t care, but because they lack the executive functioning tools to map out a process.

This is why executive function instruction is so essential in high school. We can’t expect students to manage their learning without first teaching them how.

Teaching Executive Function Skills in High School Classrooms

Planning is not an innate skill for many students—it must be taught. As educators, we must recognize that a struggle to plan is not a behavioral issue, but a learning need that requires support. Through intentional executive function instruction, we can provide students with the strategies and systems that lead to academic and personal growth.

Here are a few executive function strategies to support students in the classroom:

• Model Planning in Real-Time: Break down a complex task with your class. Show them how to create a timeline, chunk work, and prioritize steps.
• Incorporate Executive Function Lessons: Embed short, weekly lessons focused on planning, organizing, and managing time.
• Use Executive Function Tools: Visual planners, checklists, and calendars can help students externalize the planning process.
• Check for Understanding Frequently: Don’t assume a student knows how to plan for success—check in regularly to see how they’re applying the tools.

When you embed these strategies into instruction, you are not only meeting student learning needs but also building student confidence, improving self-regulation, and strengthening social skills—especially in group projects and peer interactions.

Executive Function Curriculum That Builds Student Empowerment

Supporting students who struggle to plan isn’t just about increasing task completion—it’s about long-term skill development. Through a structured executive function curriculum, students learn to set goals, plan ahead, manage distractions, and reflect on their progress.

This type of instruction fosters student empowerment, helping learners become more self-aware, motivated, and independent. It also improves classroom climate, reducing frustration and increasing student engagement.

Looking for more insights into how planning works and how you can teach it?

• What is Planning?

Solving Executive Function Challenges with the Right Support

To create meaningful change, it’s important to start with awareness. Many students who struggle to plan have never been taught how to do so explicitly—and many teachers haven’t had the tools or training to recognize these challenges for what they are.

If you’re unsure how to identify executive function deficits, we’ve created this helpful resource for you: Determine Your Students’ Executive Function Needs

And if you’re ready to take the next step, our platform helps teachers evaluate student behavior and create a customized executive function curriculum that fits your classroom.

With the right executive function intervention, you’ll not only improve student performance but also reduce the stress and frustration that comes with constant reteaching, late work, and disengagement.

Empowering Students Starts With Understanding Why They Struggle

High school is a pivotal time for students to build independence. When we help them overcome their struggle to plan, we aren’t just improving grades—we’re changing trajectories. By embedding executive function instruction into everyday teaching, using the right executive functioning tools, and supporting students in a consistent, structured way, we equip them with the skills they need far beyond the classroom.

Let’s move from reacting to student behaviors to understanding and addressing the root cause. When we do, we give our students the greatest gift of all: the ability to take control of their own learning journey.