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In this post, I’ll teach you how to implement backward planning with your students.
Backward planning is determining the end goal of an endeavor first and then charting out the key steps to achieve that goal.
This skill will help your students:
-Get better grades 📝
-Break down projects into manageable chunks 🔨
-And shift their mindsets to begin with the end in mind 🧠
This powerful executive function skill, also known as reverse engineering, can significantly improve academic performance and reduce student stress.
Keep reading to learn more 👇
Why Teach Backward Planning?
Backward planning involves setting a goal and planning steps backward from the deadline to the start date.
The big difference between backward and forward planning is how it feels for students.
With backward planning, every action toward the end goal makes students feel closer to completion. Setting clear expectations upfront reduces surprise and overwhelm later on.
With forward planning, students continuously add one more thing to do until they reach their goal, which adds mental strain and frustration.
According to research, students who backward plan:
-Have greater motivation
-Feel less time pressure
-And avoid last-minute cramming
To help students learn this skill, it is essential to understand why they don't backward plan in the first place.
Why Students Avoid Backwards Planning
Despite its benefits, many students don’t use backward planning or know what it is. Here are a few reasons why:
-Many teachers assume students know how to break projects into manageable parts
-Executive function skills are rarely discussed in the school system and are not required to be taught
-Many students develop a habit of procrastination rather than the skill of backward planning and are categorized as "lazy", rather than taught the missing skill
Since you are reading this, you have the mindset and position to change this narrative. Here is how you can make a difference 👇
How to Backward Plan in 4 Steps
I've taught backward planning in hundreds of executive function coaching sessions.
Since executive function coaching typically costs $150 or more an hour, I'm thrilled to teach you these skills here for free.
Do you want to teach these skills in your classroom or become an executive function coach?
Consider exploring the resources in the Executive Function Coaching Academy or our free articles on teaching EF skills.
Step One: Ask your student the "magic" question
When you sit down to support your student, start by asking the student a question like this:
"Imagine you are opening your report card at the end of this semester. What grades would you see on it?"
This guides the student to set a S.M.A.R.T. goal. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Realistic
Timely
Once they communicate the grades they want to earn, have them solidify this vision by using their non-verbal working memory.
Ask them:
"How would it feel to earn (not get) an ___ in Chemistry, an ___ History, (re-state their goals)?"
These questions are powerful ways to tap into the brain's natural pattern recognition capabilities that rely on a combination of logic and emotion to drive behavior.
Step Two: Put the plan in writing
The next step is to have the student put the desired outcomes in writing.
According to a study done by Dr. Gail Matthews from Dominican University, those who wrote down their goals were 50% more likely to achieve them than those who did not.
As a coach, parent, or educator supporting your student, say this:
"Will you write that down?"
Coaches at Executive Function Specialists learn to guide students to write down their goals in Google Tasks or in their Student Dashboard, as these are tools that are easily accessible and impossible to lose for the majority of students.
If you are not sure which planning system to use with your student, click here to download a copy of our Student Dashboard at no-cost.
Step Three: Break down the steps
In the next step, students will break down the steps to arrive at the goal.
For example, if they want to earn an "A" in Chemistry, they can go into the class syllabus and write down all the assignments they need to complete in order to reach the desired outcome of earning an "A".
Another thing they can do in this step is get confirmation for their plan from their teacher.
If your student doesn't want to make this email up, have them download my email templates from this article so they can copy and paste them and get started on the right foot.
Step Four: Teach task-initiation
Once your student has identified their goal, broken down the key steps to reach their goal, and confirmed their plan with their teacher, it's all about action.
The majority of students struggle to take action or avoid taking action because they don't have a clear plan in place and don't know where to start.
Here are a couple ways to help your student task-initiate when they are feeling overwhelmed:
-Ask them, "What is the least amount of time you would work on this task for?"
-When starting a meeting, ask, "What would you accomplish in this meeting for you to feel like this was a great use of your time?"
-If they are being resistant, ask them, "What is the cheat code to working effectively with you?"
For more strategies on how to help students initiate on overwhelming tasks, check out our guides on motivational interviewing, overcoming procrastination, and teaching prioritization to students with ADHD.
Summary
Are you ready to guide your student to backward planning their way to the best semester yet?
Start with these steps:
Ask your student what grades they would like to earn at the end of the semester
Help them identify the MITs or Most Important Tasks to reaching that goal.
Guide your student to share their plan with their teacher for feedback.
Coach them on how to take incremental action, each day.
Hope this helps!
🤙🏻
P.S. These are skills that executive function coaches work on with their students. If you want to try working on them with your students, consider joining hundreds of other educators and parents who have completed my Semester Success Blueprint Course. In less than 2 hours, this comprehensive course will teach you and your student the system I developed to help hundreds of students learn how to manage school effectively and raise their self-awareness and engagement with school.
About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.