Balancing Success: How Students Manage Social Life, Schoolwork and Sleep

In-service Course
3 Credits; 45 Hours
Instructor: Samantha Markowitz

Instructor Email: SMarkowitzLIIPS@gmail.com

Course Description: Students today juggle academic expectations, extracurricular commitments, friendships, and digital engagement—making it increasingly difficult to maintain the balance needed for optimal learning. This course equips teachers with research-based strategies to help students manage time, build routines, prioritize sleep, and nurture healthy social lives. Through the lens of cognitive science, mental health, and adolescent development, teachers explore why balance is essential for academic performance, emotional regulation, and daily readiness.

Across ten hands-on modules, teachers gain tools to support students in planning schoolwork, creating realistic workloads, developing social boundaries, and practicing sleep-friendly habits. They also learn how to communicate effectively with families and use classroom routines that encourage balanced living. By the end of the course, educators will be equipped to guide students toward healthier habits that foster success both in and out of the classroom.