Brain Warm Up Worksheet BRAIN WARM-UP
Mission Control Center
STATUS: INITIALIZING...
Student:
Date:
What's on Your Mind?
Think about your morning routine or what you need to do after school today.
What's one thing you need to remember to do?
How do you plan to make sure it gets done?
System: Cognitive Processing Hub
Your Brains CEO Lesson Plan Your Brain's CEO
Tier 3 Individual Support Lesson • 7th Grade
TIME 20 MIN
OBJECTIVE
Students will define executive functioning and identify two strategies to improve their own skills related to organization and self-regulation.
PREPARATION
Review the Slides and Script.
Print Brain Warm-Up and Toolkit Worksheet.
Prepare a quiet, low-distraction environment.
RATIONALE
"Understanding executive functioning can help you take charge of your thoughts, actions, and emotions. This can make school less stressful, help you remember important things, and even improve your sleep by creating routines."
INSTRUCTIONAL STEPS
3 MIN
Warm-Up: What's on Your Mind?
Present the Brain Warm-Up. Encourage sharing of thoughts, focusing on task achievement plans.
Refer to the Executive Functioning Script for opening remarks.
5 MIN
Introduction to Executive Functioning
Use the Explained Slides to introduce 'Your Brain's CEO'. Connect to daily life, school struggles, and sleep patterns.
Focus on making abstract concepts relatable to 7th grade experiences.
7 MIN
Activity: My Brain's Toolkit
Work through the Toolkit Worksheet . Identify challenges and brainstorm 1-2 actionable strategies for organization and self-regulation.
Guide the student toward specific, manageable steps.
5 MIN
Cool-Down & Next Steps
Review identified strategies. Select one to try before the next session. Discuss the importance of well-being.
Set expectations for follow-up in the next session.
MATERIALS CHECKLIST
Whiteboard / Markers
Brain Warm-Up
Explained Slides
Teacher Script
Toolkit Worksheet
Executive Functioning Explained Slides Mission Control
YOUR BRAIN'S CEO
Understanding Executive Functions and How They Run Your World
SYSTEM READY // VERSION 7.0
The Power of the CEO
Ever wonder how you manage to:
Start your homework?
Pack your school bag?
Stay calm under pressure?
That's your brain's "CEO" at work!
What's a "CEO" Brain?
PLAN
Organizing tasks and looking ahead.
FOCUS
Paying attention to what matters.
MANAGE
Handling your emotions and impulses.
REMEMBER
Holding onto instructions in your mind.
SWITCH
Moving smoothly from one activity to the next.
Think of it as your brain's control center!
Why Does This Matter to You?
SCHOOL
Assignments, studying, organizing.
HOME
Chores, routines, managing time.
FRIENDS
Understanding social cues, regulation.
FEELING GOOD
Reducing stress, better sleep.
When these skills are strong,
Focus Areas for Today
ORGANIZATION
Keeping track of materials and tasks. Staying on top of what you need.
SELF-REGULATION
Managing emotions and impulses. Keeping your "cool" when things get tough.
These help with school, chores, and even getting great sleep!
Building Your Brain's Toolkit
We all have unique strengths and areas where we can grow.
IDENTIFY
Your current strengths
CHOOSE
What to work on
BUILD
Your personal toolkit
YOU'VE GOT THIS!
Improving executive functions is a journey, not a race. Every small step makes you more confident!
Let's pick one strategy to try!
Executive Functioning Script Teacher Guide Executive Functioning Script
Teacher Facilitation Guide • Tier 3 Individual Session
3 MIN
Warm-Up: What's on Your Mind?
Greeting and opening the session.
Teacher: "Hey [Student's Name], thanks for coming in today. We're going to talk about something really interesting that can help you with school, getting things done, and even feeling a bit more in control of your day. To start, let's do a quick 'Brain Warm-Up.' Look at this prompt: 'Think about your morning routine or what you need to do after school today. What's one thing you need to remember to do? How do you plan to make sure it gets done?'"
Teacher: "Take a moment to think about it. No right or wrong answers here, just what comes to your mind. What's something on your plate for today or tomorrow?"
Allow student to think and respond. If they struggle, offer examples like 'remembering gym clothes' or 'starting math homework.'
Teacher: "That's a great example. So, how do you usually try to make sure that happens? Do you write it down, set an alarm, or just try to remember it in your head?"
5 MIN
Introduction to Executive Functioning
Using the slides to explain the CEO concept.
Teacher: "Let's look at these slides together. Imagine your brain has a CEO, just like a company. This CEO is in charge of making plans, organizing, staying focused, and making sure everything runs smoothly. We call these skills Executive Functions. "
Teacher: "(Slide 2) These are the skills that help you plan, focus, manage emotions, and remember things. Everyone has these skills, and we all have some that are super strong and some that we're still working on building, and that's totally normal."
Teacher: "(Slide 3) So, why do these 'CEO' brain skills matter to you? They help with almost everything! Like in school, they help you with homework and keeping your backpack organized. And even for things like getting enough sleep—they help you stick to a bedtime routine or calm down after a busy day."
Ask: "Have you ever felt like it's really hard to get started on a task, or that your emotions just take over sometimes?" Validate their frustration.
7 MIN
Activity: My Brain's Toolkit
Teacher: "Alright, now that we know what Executive Functions are, let's explore your own 'Brain's Toolkit.' I have a worksheet here called My Brain's Toolkit . Let's go through the Organization section first."
Teacher: "How do you feel about keeping track of your assignments or school supplies? On a scale of 1 to 5, how would you rate your organization? What's one organizational challenge you face?"
My Brains Toolkit Worksheet My Brain's Toolkit
Executive Functioning Strategy Guide
Name
____________________________
Date
____________________________
Part 1: Organization
Keeping track of your materials, tasks, and time. It helps you know what you need to do and when.
1. Self-Rating: How do you feel about your organizational skills right now?
1
Hard
2
3
Okay
4
5
Breeze
2. My Organizational Challenges:
Example: Losing papers, forgetting assignments, messy backpack.
3. My Organization Strategy:
Example: Use a planner, clear backpack every night, make a checklist.
Part 2: Self-Regulation
Managing your emotions, thoughts, and actions. It helps you stay calm, focused, and in control.
1. Self-Rating: How do you feel about your self-regulation skills right now?
1
2
3
4
5
2. My Self-Regulation Challenges:
Example: Getting frustrated easily, trouble starting tasks, feeling overwhelmed.
3. My Self-Regulation Strategy:
Example: Take 3 deep breaths, ask for a break, listen to calming music.
My Top Strategy to Try This Week
The Mission:
____________________________________________________________________
How will I remember to try it?
____________________________________________________________________
Executive Functioning Challenge Worksheet The CEO Challenge
Operational Mission Briefing
Mission Status
Pending...
"This activity is designed to help you practice and build your executive functioning skills in a fun, challenging way. Think of it like a mental workout!"
01 Choosing Your Challenge
Based on your Brain's Toolkit Worksheet , which skill do you want to level up this week?
Organization
Keeping track of things and time.
Self-Regulation
Managing feelings and focus.
My Chosen Mission Focus:
____________________________________________________________
02 Mission: Briefing
Organization Missions
Desk Detective: 5 min nightly tidy.Backpack Boss: Full nightly reset.Assignment Tracker: Digital reminders.
Self-Reg Missions
Breath Master: The 3-breath pause.Focus Finder: 5-min timer commit.Emotional Check-In: Name the feeling.
Describe your specific Mission steps:
Next Session Debrief
We'll talk about how your mission went, what felt easy, and what you learned. Progress over perfection!
