Written by: Sherri Widen

Learners who push through frustration, manage their time without constant reminders, and own their mistakes and learn from them: these are the kinds of self-management behaviors we want to see in our learners. To develop these skills, learners need support. The Durable Skills Pilot Project provides ready-to-use resources educators can integrate into their practice to provide the explicit instruction and consistent practice learners need.

The Problem

Learners often lack clear models for what self-management looks like, the vocabulary to talk about it, and opportunities to practice it. Fortunately, self-management is a teachable skill. When learners are taught self-management strategies with authentic practice and structured reflection, their ability to persist, stay organized, and make thoughtful choices improves.

What Works

Explicit vocabulary instruction gives learners in each grade band the language they need. When self-management is defined in clear, kid-friendly terms and, for elementary learners, paired with visual anchors, learners recognize it in themselves and others throughout the day.

Anchor charts and “I Can” statements give learners concrete targets. Posted in the classroom, educators can refer to them in the moment and learners can use them as a reference point for their actions and choices.

Quick activities offer low-stakes practice with real feedback, building confidence. The mistakes celebration in grades K-2, goal-setting sprints in Grades 3-5 and Grades 6-8, and integrity dilemmas in Grades 9-12 give learners safe spaces to practice self-management. When learners practice with feedback and reflection, they develop the mindset that self-management is learnable.

Reflection prompts for all grade bands and goal setting tools make progress visible. Project planning templates and goal-setting journals help learners move from vague intentions to concrete action steps.

Observation and celebration of growth matter. When educators notice self-management in action and name it specifically, learners feel reinforced for their self-management efforts..

Grade-Level Approaches

In the Durable Skills Pilot Project, each grade band has additional developmentally appropriate self-management resources.

• In grades K-2, learners focus on following routines and recognizing that mistakes are part of learning and can use a statement from the self-management anchor charts: ‘I can keep trying when something is hard.”
• In grades 3-5, learners use project planning templates and goal-setting journals to track progress and reflect on what worked.
• In grades 6-8, learners tackle ethical dilemmas and connect their actions to their values.
• In grades 9-12, learners take on internship projects and capstone work that mirror real world situations that require genuine self-management.

Why This Matters

Learners who can manage themselves are better positioned to succeed in school and beyond. They persist through challenges, meet their commitments, and make choices aligned with their values.

Self-management won’t develop by accident. It develops through instruction, practice, feedback, and reflection.

With intentional instruction and practice, self-management is within reach for every learner.

What’s one self-management skill you’d like to see your learners develop by the end of the school year?

Join Our Durable Skills Pilot Project

The K-12 Durable Skills Pilot Project provides everything you need: ready-to-use, easy-to-integrate resources tailored to your grade band, human-centered tools, and a community of educators learning alongside you. Bring self-management and other durable skills to life in your classroom.

If you want to help your learners build the self-management habits they need to thrive, please join us.

Sign up for the pilot here!