How to find time! Whew! So busy that you're constantly running out of time? Here are ways to cut yourself some slack.

** Objectives

Students should be able to:

* compare and contrast their time-management habits with those of the kids profiled.

* devise ways to improve how they organize time and tasks.

** Word to Know

* academic planner: calendar, chart, or date-book with spaces to write in one's schedule (homework due dates, fun activities, etc.) to keep track of time and obligations. Various planner types can be printed off the Web, or purchased in stationery or office-supply stores.

** Background

Today's kids juggle many activities and responsibilities. Getting everything done can be a challenge. But getting organized and setting goals and limits can help greatly.

** Critical Thinking

FINDING SUPPORTING EVIDENCE: What, according to the article, makes today's kids "the most time-stressed generation ever"? (chores at home; various lessons and after-school programs, such as sports and clubs; time with friends; instant messaging; homework)

MAKING COMPARISONS AND INFERENCES: Of the four kids quoted (Riley, Remi, Craig, and Dana), whose time-management style is most like yours? Could yours be more effective? Explain. (Answers will vary; should be supported by reasoned examples.)

** Activity

SAY AGAIN?: Write this statement on the board: "Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder." Have students explain and discuss what the writer (Mason Cooley) meant by it. Do they agree? Why or why not?

STANDARD

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

** Individual development and identity: Learning to balance needs and wants is a sign of growing maturity.

RESOURCES

PRINT

** Covey, Sean, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (Simon & Schuster, 1998). Grades 6-12.

** Fox, Janet S., Get Organized Without Losing It (Free Spirit Publishing, 2006). Grades 6-12.

WEB SITES

** It's My Life (PBS) pbskids.org/itsmylife /school/time

** Organizing From the Inside Out organizedteens.com

Do you ever feel like the boy in the photo--weighed down with more activities and responsibilities than you can handle?

Today's kids are the most time-stressed generation ever. After-school hours are filledwith sports, music lessons, homework, instant messaging, chores at home, and countless other activities. Education standards are getting stiffer, increasing the pressure to improve grades. If you hold down a job, too, forget about free time.

Get Organized!

What is the answer?

"I'm not too organized most of the time," admits Riley Sexton, 13, a Student in Weston, Connecticut. "I forget to write stuff down," he tells JS. "My disorganization has gotten me into trouble. It's frustrating."

Organization is the key, says Remi Gibba (GEE-buh), 15, of Washington, D.C. She plays on two soccer teams, including Maryland's Olympic Development Team. Most days, she goes straight from school to soccer practice, and gets home around 9 p.m. "I'll do a lot of my homework on the Metro [subway train] and the bus," she says. "Then I'll only have an hour's worth of homework to do at home."

Glenn Stein, a psychologist, says that having a schedule is essential. "Get an academic planner," he advises. "Write down what you need to get done. Ultimately, it allows you to do what you want to do."

"I don't like doing homework, but it's better getting it done and having time to be with my friends," says Craig Jones, 12, of Inglewood, California. He arranges his schedule so homework comes first. "The reward," says Craig, "is getting to have the free time you want."

How to "Chunk"

Do you still feel overwhelmed?

Take a cue from Dana Schwarz, 14, an actress in Woodland Hills, California. Besides studying for her regular classes, Dana has to devote time to memorizing her lines.

"Sometimes I'd get panicked over learning my lines and then studying for a test," she recalls. "My mom told me, 'Take a deep breath, [then] do things one by one.'

"You can't panic," Dana adds. "You have to take it one thing at a time."

Stein agrees. "Kids need to 'chunk,'" she says. That means breaking down big tasks into manageable pieces. Then do a chunk every night.

Chunking works better if you prioritize. Decide what to do first, second, and so on--and stick to it.

"If you're having trouble getting your work done, you need to tell somebody," urges Stein. A trusted adult, such as a parent or teacher, can help you make a schedule.

If you get off track, though, don't beat yourself up. "You will screw up [now and then]. Forgive yourself," says Jody Smith, director of Phoenix Academy in Weston, Connecticut. "Tomorrow is another day."

5 TIPS FOR STAYING ON TRACK

1 Know where your time goes. For one week, write down everything you do and how long it takes. Then examine your notes. Where can you save time? Can you cut out needless repetition?

2 Have to vs. want to. Make two lists: "Things I Have to Do" and "Things I Want to Do." Try to complete your "Have to's" more efficiently, allowing more time for "Want to's."

3 Be realistic. Nobody can do everything, so choose wisely. Sometimes, you have to give up one thing to gain another.

4 Track your progress. Use your schedule as a checklist. Check off each task, activity, or goal as you accomplish it. Whenever possible, revise your plan to increase your chances of success.

5 Share the wealth. Help friends and family get organized too. It will give you more quality time together!

Words to Know

* prioritize: to arrange things in order of importance.

* procrastination: the act of putting something off, often out of carelessness or laziness.

Think About It

1. Edward Young, an 18th-century poet and playwright, once wrote, "Procrastination is the thief of time." What did he mean by that? Do you agree or disagree? Explain.

2. If you had more free time, what would you do with it?

QUICK QUIZ

* Decide whether each sentence is true, false, or an opinion. Write your answer on the blank line provided.

--11. Remi Gibba says that she does a lot of her homework on her way home from soccer practice.

--12. Doing homework before spending time with friends is better than doing it any other time.

--13. Riley Sexton should get better organized.

--14. Getting an academic planner is the only way to organize time.

--15. "Chunking" is scheduling all your weekly chores for the same day.

ANSWER

11. true

12. opinion

13. opinion

14. false

15. false