Caveat Classroom · For schools · Grades 6 to 12
Executive function,
taught in advisory.
Twelve 25-minute advisory lessons, one skill a week. Students rate themselves and teachers rate what they see, on one 1-to-4 tracker that stays in the browser.
The gap
Teachers describe students who are less independent than they used to be: missed deadlines, unstarted work, lost papers. Help with organization and follow-through often has no owner, and counselors serve hundreds of students each. Executive function skills can be taught directly, in small steps, by any adult who sees a group of students every week. Advisory is that time.
The approach
The sequence follows the executive function unit of Caveat's PD course Behavior Support and Executive Function in the Classroom: make the task smaller, clearer and visible; give the support; practice it in the room; then hand it over. Each week ends with real work on the student's own calendar, assignments or backpack, not a worksheet about them.
The twelve weeks
The same order as the Executive Function Builder, so a student doing the course meets each skill in advisory the same week.
- Week01Seeing time"I can put every due date and event for the next two weeks on one calendar I check." Builder lesson: What is time blindness?; Making a calendar you will actually use.
- Week02Estimating time"I can estimate how long a task will take and check my guess." Builder lesson: Estimating how long things take.
- Week03The weekly plan"I can make a plan for my week in ten minutes." Builder lesson: The weekly planning routine.
- Week04Projects in steps"I can break a big assignment into steps with my own due dates." Builder lesson: Breaking projects into steps; Backwards planning from a due date.
- Week05Getting started"I can start a task within five minutes of sitting down to it." Builder lesson: Why starting is hard; The five-minute start.
- Week06Reducing friction"I can set up my space and materials so starting is easy." Builder lesson: Reducing friction.
- Week07Spotting distractions"I can name what pulls me off task and plan for it." Builder lesson: Spotting your distractions; Phones and focus.
- Week08Work blocks and breaks"I can work in a timed block and take a short break." Builder lesson: Work blocks, breaks and body doubling.
- Week09Organizing papers"I can keep my papers in a system and find any one in a minute." Builder lesson: The backpack and binder system.
- Week10Digital files and the weekly reset"I can name and save my files so I can find them, and reset my system each week." Builder lesson: Digital folders and file names; The weekly reset.
- Week11Checking and turning in work"I can check my work and confirm it was turned in." Builder lesson: Checking work and turning it in.
- Week12The weekly review and speaking up"I can review my week, change one thing, and ask a teacher for help when I need it." Builder lesson: The weekly review and adjusting your system; Speaking up for yourself with teachers.
How a week runs
- Opener, 3 minutes. A quick question or challenge that shows why the skill matters.
- Teach, 7 minutes. Three points in plain words, with one example on the board.
- Practice, 10 minutes. Students use the skill on their own real work: their calendar, a project, their backpack.
- Rate, 5 minutes. Students rate themselves on the week's "I can" statement; the teacher rates what they see, on the same scale.
Each lesson lists what the teacher looks for. Students with course access do the matching Executive Function Builder lesson during the week.
The ratings and the teacher view
| Rating | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 Not yet | I do not do this yet, even with reminders. |
| 2 With reminders | I do it when someone reminds or helps me. |
| 3 Mostly on my own | I do it on my own most weeks. |
| 4 On my own | I do it on my own and could show someone else how. |
The class tracker holds student codes, never names: a completion tick, the self-rating and the teacher rating for each week. The class view shows completion and the average ratings week by week, and each student's line across the twelve weeks, so a gap between how a student rates a skill and what you see becomes a short conversation. Print the summary for a team meeting. Everything stays in the browser, with Export, Import and Delete.
The advisory kit for one teacher
All twelve printable lessons and the class tracker, for one teacher's advisory groups for a school year.
Buy now adds it to your cart; check out with a card. Free with Caveat staff access and with school licenses that include Caveat Classroom: the button opens it.
For a whole building: $1,200 a building
Every advisory teacher gets the kit, and every student gets the Executive Function Builder and The Independent Student course for their grade band, for a school year. For a smaller group, such as one grade or a Tier 2 group, it is $8 a student a year. Schools with a Caveat license that includes courses already have the student courses. Request a quote.
Executive Function for Schools is skills instruction, not counseling, therapy or an evaluation. The ratings ask only about the week's skill. If a student raises a worry about mood, safety or home, follow your school's procedure and bring in the counselor or another member of your school's own staff. The free executive function self-check and weekly schedule builder are used in some weeks.
The other branches
One brand. Seven branches. Every grade, every next step.
For studentsCaveat AcademySelf-paced courses for grades 6 to 12, from full-year classes to AP and SAT prep.
For parentsCaveat Co-OpHomeschool from kindergarten to grade 12, courses for parents, and tools for IEPs and 504 plans.
For college-bound students and familiesCaveat CollegeCollege credit in high school, the college list, applications, paying for college and the move to college.
For families with questions about learningCaveat LensScreeners for grades 1 to 8 that help you decide whether to ask for a full evaluation.
For social-emotional learningCaveat CaresFeelings, friendships and self-regulation, for students, families and teachers.
For career exploration and readinessCaveat CareersA free Career Explorer, career pathways and electives, and getting ready for a first job.
The Caveat Family Guide to College is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Each college decides admission, aid and how credit counts, and requirements change; check each college's own pages. Examples are examples, not promises. Caveat Academic Services is an independent college preparation company. Students do all of their own work.