If there’s one thing teaching intermediate students has taught me over the past five years, it’s this: the content itself is rarely the problem. More often, the challenge lies in managing the content.

As someone who has specialized in Grade 7 and 8 classes—both straight and split grades—and who is currently teaching Grade 8 online, I see this regularly. Students understand the lesson, participate thoughtfully, and can often explain concepts clearly during discussions. However, when it comes time to demonstrate their learning independently, new challenges emerge.

Suddenly:

• The assignment doesn’t get submitted.
• The wrong file is uploaded.
• The due date is missed.
• The instructions weren’t fully read.
• The work is only partially completed.

At first glance, it can be tempting to attribute these issues to laziness, lack of effort, or disengagement. However, in many cases, the real challenge is executive functioning.

In fact, many of the same challenges that impact executive functioning also affect students’ ability to manage digital workflows and advocate for themselves. I recently explored these connections in my posts on Building Digital Independence Before High School and Teaching Students to Advocate for Themselves in Digital Learning Environments.

What Are Executive Functioning Skills?

Executive functioning skills are the mental processes that help students:

• Plan and prioritize
• Organize materials (both physical and digital)
• Manage time effectively
• Initiate tasks independently
• Monitor their own progress
• Self-regulate emotions
• Follow multi-step directions

In intermediate classrooms, these skills become increasingly visible—and increasingly important. As students prepare for high school, they encounter more teachers, larger assignments, and greater expectations for independence. Furthermore, these same skills are essential in post-secondary education and the workplace.

Unfortunately, many educators and parents assume executive functioning develops naturally over time.

It doesn’t.

Instead, these skills need to be taught, modeled, and practiced just like any other academic skill.

The PD That Changed My Perspective

A few years ago, I attended a professional development session focused specifically on explicitly teaching executive functioning skills.

Up until that point, I viewed organization, time management, and task initiation as abilities that students either naturally possessed or struggled with. If a student consistently forgot assignments, procrastinated, or had difficulty getting started, I often assumed it was simply part of who they were as a learner.

However, that professional development session completely reframed my thinking. The facilitator shared a statement that has stayed with me ever since:

“If it’s a skill, we can teach it.”

At first, it seemed almost too simple. Yet the more I reflected on it, the more it changed the way I approached student success.

Executive functioning isn’t a personality trait. It isn’t motivation. And it certainly isn’t a measure of intelligence.

Instead, executive functioning is a collection of teachable, coachable skills that can be modeled, practiced, and strengthened over time. Just as we explicitly teach reading strategies, mathematical problem-solving, or scientific inquiry, we can also teach students how to plan, organize, prioritize, and manage their time.

As a result, I began approaching these challenges differently in my classroom. Rather than expecting students to “figure it out,” I started building routines and lessons that explicitly taught executive functioning skills. Consequently, I noticed improvements not only in organization and task completion, but also in student confidence, independence, and overall success.

Looking back, that single shift in perspective may have had a greater impact on my teaching practice than almost any other professional development session I’ve attended.

Why Executive Functioning Matters in Intermediate Grades

In Grades 7 and 8, students experience:

• Multiple teachers
• Multiple deadlines
• Larger assignments
• Digital submission platforms (like D2L)
• Increased independence

Without executive functioning skills, students quickly become overwhelmed.

And when students feel overwhelmed, they often:

• Shut down
• Avoid tasks
• Become frustrated
• Appear disengaged

When in reality, they don’t know how to manage the workload.

These organizational demands are only increasing as schools rely more heavily on digital platforms. Establishing strong routines early can make a significant difference, which is why I recommend developing consistent systems as outlined in Digital Routines That Make Your Classroom Run Smoothly (Online or In-Person).

What Explicitly Teaching Executive Functioning Skills Looks Like

After that PD, I stopped assuming students knew how to manage their work.

Instead, I started modeling it.

Here are some changes I made:

1. Modeling Planning Out Loud

Instead of saying, “You have two weeks,” I model:

“If I start this tonight and complete one section per day, I’ll finish early.”

I show them how to break assignments into chunks.

Planning is taught — not implied.

2. Building Weekly Reset Routines

Especially teaching Grade 8 online, digital organization is critical.

Every week, students:

• Check missing assignments
• Review feedback
• Organize files
• Confirm upcoming deadlines

We treat it as a skill-building session — not a punishment.

These reset routines mirror many of the digital organization strategies I discuss in Building Digital Independence Before High School, where students learn to manage files, assignments, and deadlines independently.

3. Teaching Task Initiation

Many students don’t struggle with completing work.

They struggle with starting it.

So we practice:

• Reading instructions fully
• Highlighting key expectations
• Writing a first sentence immediately
• Setting a 5-minute timer to begin

Starting reduces anxiety.

Similarly, helping students learn how to ask for help when they get stuck is another critical skill. Developing self-advocacy skills can often be the difference between a student who shuts down and a student who successfully navigates challenges.

4. Making Time Visible

Executive functioning thrives on visibility.

I now:

• Post weekly calendars
• Use checklists
• Provide visual countdowns
• Repeat due dates consistently

Predictability reduces cognitive load.

5. Normalizing Struggle

We openly discuss:

• Procrastination
• Overwhelm
• Forgetfulness

And then we discuss strategies.

When students understand that executive functioning is a skill — not a flaw — they become more open to support.

The Connection to Digital Learning

Teaching Grade 8 online has amplified how important executive functioning is.

Without:

• Physical reminders
• Peer cues
• Teacher proximity

Students rely heavily on:

• Self-monitoring
• Digital organization
• Time awareness
• Communication

And when those skills aren’t there, the digital environment feels chaotic.

But when they are?

Students thrive.

I’ve written previously about how digital learning environments require students to develop stronger routines, independence, and communication skills. If you’re looking for practical classroom strategies, check out:

• Building Digital Independence Before High School
• Teaching Students to Advocate for Themselves in Digital Learning Environments
• Digital Routines That Make Your Classroom Run Smoothly (Online or In-Person)

Executive Functioning Builds Confidence

When students learn to:

• Plan independently
• Submit correctly
• Monitor deadlines
• Advocate when confused

Their confidence grows.

They begin to say:
“I’ve got this.”

And that’s powerful.

Preparing Students for High School

High school assumes executive functioning competence.

Teachers expect:

• Independent tracking of assignments
• Professional communication
• Deadline management
• Organization across subjects

If we wait until Grade 9 to teach these skills, we’ve waited too long.

Intermediate is the perfect training ground. While content knowledge remains important, many high school teachers will tell you that organization, self-advocacy, and digital independence are often the skills that determine whether students thrive during the transition.

Final Thoughts

That PD session shifted my perspective permanently.

Executive functioning skills are not optional.
They are not personality traits.
They are not “just maturity.”

They are teachable.

And once we begin teaching them explicitly, our classrooms become calmer, our students become more confident, and transitions to high school become smoother.

Sometimes the most important lessons we teach aren’t in the curriculum.

They’re in the systems behind it.