Originally posted at P21.org.

Ben Franklin once famously said, "In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." As a PBL teacher, I’d like to add one more item to his short list: projects last longer than expected. One of the biggest challenges PBL teachers face is staying on track with time. Obstacles like pep rallies, snow days, reteaching, inexperience with PBL planning—and the list goes on—can quickly turn your project calendar into a traffic jam. When this occurs, Project Based Learning becomes the dreaded PBL: Project Based Lag. We’ve all been there, including me. Below are some lessons learned and tips to prevent your next project from dragging on past its prime.