Lesson Plan: Managing Impulsivity

OBJECTIVE CONNECTION TO ACHIEVEMENT GOAL

What will your students be able to do? How does the objective connect to your
achievement goal?
1) SWBAT explain what “impulsivity” is and what Students that have disabilities which affect their
“managing impulsivity” means. attention, time management skills, and
self-regulation can become frustrated,
2) SWBAT explain/list 3 examples of impulsive reprimanded, or experience learned helplessness
behavior and its effects on student learning when they do not have the skills to manage
and behavior. impulsivity in the classroom, at home, and in
unstructured settings. Teaching the Habit of Mind,
3) SWBAT explain/identify 3 ways to manage “managing impulsivity,” helps my students
impulsivity in the classroom, at home, and in become more independent in the small group
the world. special education setting by developing
self-regulation and reflection techniques in
4) SWBAT identify impulsive behavior from the interpersonal and intrapersonal settings.
​
movie ​Inside Out and explain 1 way the Managing impulsivity is a transferable skill my
character could have managed their students can use in any situation in life where
impulsivity and one example of a character they find themselves engaging in impulsivity or
managing their impulsivity tempted to use impulsive behavior.

5) SWBAT use managing impulsivity techniques

during a group activity involving collaboration.

6) SWBAT use impulsivity management

techniques in the classroom, hallways, and
during unstructured time through managing
impulsivity strategies.
PREREQUISITE SKILLS DIAGNOSTIC
What will your students need to know to master the How will you assess students’ mastery of these
grade-level objective? foundational skills?
Students need to know: ● Students’ ability to explain and elaborate
● The meaning of “impulsivity,” “managing,” and on the concept of managing impulsivity
“managing impulsivity” ● Students’ ability to list 3 examples of
● What impulsive behavior looks like and why it impulsive behavior and 3 examples of
is undesirable in most instances in the managing impulsivity
classroom ● Students’ ability to identify instances of
● Strategies to use to manage impulsivity impulsive behavior and examples of
● Examples and non-examples of managing managing impulsivity in a movie clip
impulsivity ● Students’ ability to apply learned concepts
● Spaces to practice and be reminded of to situations in the classroom where they
managing impulsivity in the classroom are experiencing impulsive behavior
END OF LESSON ASSESSMENT
How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective?
I will know if students have made progress towards understanding and internalizing the Habit of
Mind, “managing impulsivity,” if students are able to explain the Habit of Mind in their own words,
identify examples and non-examples of the behavior, identify strategies to manage impulsivity, and if

John Hopkins University School of Education

Lesson Plan Template 1
 students exercise their ability to manage impulsivity in the classroom when working independently
and in groups.
KEY POINTS
What three to five key points will you emphasize?
1) Managing impulsivity is a Habit of Mind where an individual takes time before acting, reacting,
or making decisions to be mindful about their interactions with themselves and others.
2) Impulsive behavior can occur when students are distracted, anxious, tired, angry, bored, etc.
Impulsive behavior can look like making decisions quickly without thinking about alternate
options, saying things that a person does not mean or being rash, being unmindful of others’
feelings, and not managing time well.
3) Managing impulsivity is a set of strategies that involve considering options, thinking about
decisions before making them, remaining calm in stressful or challenging situations, takes
time to be empathetic towards self and others, and proceeds carefully and mindfully.
4) Students can become managers of impulsivity when they recognize their own impulsive
behavior and utilize impulse management strategies at school, at home, and in any setting.
OPENING
(Consider: How will you communicate what is about to happen?
How will you communicate how it will happen?
How will you communicate its importance?
How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?
​ How will you engage students and capture their interest?)
● When students enter the classroom, they will pick up a post-it note and begin drawing or
writing down what they think “impulsivity” means. The teacher will prompt the students by
highlighting how the word “impulse” is the root word of impulsivity and share a sentence that
uses “impulsivity” in it.
● After the students write down what they think the word means, the teacher will select the
L student response that most closely aligns with “impulsivity.”
E ● The teacher will explain that today the students are learning a new way to grow their brain
S and will be practicing learning how to manage their impulsivity to be more effective learners
S and harder workers.
O INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL
N (Consider: What key points will you emphasize and reiterate?
How will you ensure that students actively take in information?
How will you vary your approach to make information accessible to all students?
C Which potential misunderstandings​ will you anticipate? Why will students be engaged/interested?)
Y
C ● Using a graphic organizer, the students will take notes on their computers about “managing
L impulsivity” in the form they choose (bullet points, drawing with notes, writing using their pens
E on their laptops.
● Students will define impulsivity as: ​Acting without thinking about the results of a person’s
behavior or without thinking about a decision.
● Students will define management as: ​Controlling or making decisions.
● Students will define impulsivity management as:​ When an individual takes time before
acting, reacting, or making decisions to be mindful about their interactions with
themselves and others.
● After writing down the three definitions, the student will create a T-Chart with Examples and
Non-Examples of Managing Impulsivity on both sides of the T-Chart. The teacher will give
students 3 examples and 3 non-examples of managing impulsivity and students will place
them on each side of the chart as the teacher explains why they are examples and
non-examples:

John Hopkins University School of Education

Lesson Plan Template 2
 Examples of Managing Impulsivity Non-Examples of Managing Impulsivity

1. Pausing to think about answering a question 1. Immediately answering a question a friend

a friend asks you to think about your response asks you without thinking about your answer
first

2. Giving a friend space when they seem upset 2. Asking your friend over and over why they
at school are upset at school instead of letting them have
space

3. Taking a break from your work if you feel 3. Pushing yourself away from your desk when
overwhelmed by going to the calm corner or you are upset and walking around the room to
talking a few breaths talk to your friends while they are working

● The teacher will reiterate that the examples of managing impulsivity help students make
better decisions and become more successful in school, in friendships, and in life because
students think through their decisions and actions. The teacher will point out that the
non-examples of managing impulsivity make students less successful in school, in
friendships, and in life because they are distracting, not mindful, or overwhelming.
● In the final part of their notes, students will make a list of ways they can manage their
impulsivity that is derived from ​Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series (Costa & Kallick,
2000):
○ Take time to think about decisions and options
○ Think before speaking and acting
○ Remaining calm when feeling anxious, stressed, nervous, or overwhelmed
○ Having empathy for yourself and others
○ Proceeding mindfully with tasks

GUIDED PRACTICE/INDEPENDENT PRACTICE

(Consider: How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations?
How will you ensure that all students have multiple opportunities to practice?
How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard? How will you monitor and correct student
performance? Why will students be engaged/interested?)
● Students will get into groups of 3 for an activity to recognize impulsivity and managing
impulsivity in a movie clip.
● Students will create a T-Chart on Google Docs and share it with the teacher. On one side of
the T-Chart, students will write examples of impulsivity from the movie clip and on the other
side, students will write examples of impulsivity management.
● Students will watch a clip from the Disney Pixar movie, ​Inside Out where Riley and her
parents engage in an argument. Riley shows impulsivity by making passive aggressive
comments to her parents and eventually blowing up on them. Riley’s mother shows impulse
management by thinking about what to say to Riley and speaks to her calmly even though
she is upset.
● After watching the clip, students will talk with their groups to discuss examples from both
sides of the chart. They will log their answers on the Google Doc. As they do so, the teacher
will begin highlighting common examples and non-examples the students found.
● The teacher will cold call on each group to explain one of their examples or non-examples
from the video.

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Lesson Plan Template 3
 ● During the next part of the reinforcement activity, students will be asked to create a 30 second
skit with their group showing an example of a person managing impulsivity and another
person acting impulsively. The skit must include a written script that the students will share
with their teacher on Google Docs. The students are allowed to use props from the
classroom.
● The students will perform the 30-second skit for their classmates and after the skit, students
from other groups will share what the impulsive behavior was and what the impulse
management was in the skit.

CLOSING ​(Consider: How will students summarize what they learned?

How will students be asked to state the significance of what they learned?
How will you provide all students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of (or progress toward)
the objective?
Why will students be engaged/interested?)
● After the skits are completed, students will write one thing they learned, one thing they are
thinking about, or one question they have after learning about managing impulsivity and post
it on the board. Students will also list one way they plan to manage their impulsivity better at
home or at school that week.

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Lesson Plan Template 4