Proper Planning

In The last minute from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin emphasizes,

“If you do anything at the last minute that takes more than a minute, you’re not organizing your project properly.”

Nothing drives me crazy than working with people who wait until the last minute to do something.

I’m a “get it done now” kind of person.

If I know something needs to be done by a deadline, I must get it done early. I want it done ahead of time in case something happens that keeps me from getting it done later.

What if I get sick or get in an accident? At least if I have it done, I don’t have to worry about it. If someone needs it by a certain date, I won’t be holding them up.

By having something done early, I can free my mind up to do other things I enjoy.

I might have learned this from my parents who had a rigorous work ethic. If something needed to be done, do it now and play later. They instilled this in me also and I can hear them in the back of my mind when I want to delay doing something.

Procrastinating always causes me stress so it is better to get something done than to put it off.

Ignoring it until later doesn’t accomplish anything.

By waiting until the last minute, I might not have all the information or materials I need and then I’m scrambling to get what is needed. This means my finished project might not be as good as it could be.

I want to instill this same work ethic in my student’s minds. I want them to learn that it is important to do what needs to be done rather than waiting until the last minute. Organizing their work makes this possible and will help them be successful in the things they do.

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash

Stop Wasting Time

In Respecting their time from Seth Godin's Blog, Seth Godin states,

“Synchronized, real-time interaction is precious. It creates magic. We shouldn’t waste it on bureaucracy or displays of false control–it’s better saved for moments of connection and possibility.”

One of the things I like about attending meetings on Zoom is that we can introduce ourselves in the chat window instead of going to each person and doing it one at a time. I think this really saves a lot of time and allows the meeting to move into the “meat” of why we are meeting. I hate wasting time and many times I feel like I could skip the first 10 minutes of a meeting because they go around and introduce themselves. Everyone giving their location and job title in the chat really moves things along. Another way to get this information is by taking a poll. This keeps everyone engaged at the same time.

Recently I attended a webinar and the presenter started her presentation. The first presentation slide was jam-packed with bullet points and words. There were so many words that I could barely read because the font was so small. I confess that I inwardly groaned. Then she started to read every word off the slide and I instantly shut down. I also confess that I left the meeting. I did not want to waste 50 more minutes with this person if this is how she began the meeting because I didn’t see the rest of the time being any more productive.

I need to treat my students with the same kind of respect. Their time is as valuable as my time. Instead of expecting my students to sit there and just listen to everything I want to say, I need to get them engaged. I need to make sure they want to stay engaged.

I like to put students in teams and team members have different roles like a Leader, a Collector, a Reporter, a Closer. I don’t want to waste precious class time taking care of attendance or collecting homework. The team leader can tell me if everyone in their group is there or who is absent. The collector can collect homework for the group and put it in a designated folder for me. I can also have the collector pick up materials to give to the team. During the lesson, the reporter can fill out any forms to turn in or prepare a presentation share. Before the class ends, I can have the Closer collect materials and put them back in a designated area. This cuts out a lot of wasted time.

One way to get my students engaged is by hooking them into the lesson. I want them to ask questions and want to know more. I want them to feel they have some control over what information we can find out. I want them to feel like the lesson is worth learning and not a waste of time because my students don’t have the option of leaving the class. They can mentally shut down and still be physically there but that will end up being frustrating for both of them. I need to make sure that this real-time interaction is meaningful to them.

How do you avoid wasting time in your class? Please share.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Time Management When Teaching

I was recently asked this question and thought I would answer it here.

“I am a student teacher in a second grade classroom. I am currently teaching math and reading. Math is about an hour and a half long and reading is about an hour long. Right now I am struggling with time management. When I am teaching I either go over the time or I am not reaching the time by a good chunk. What are some strategies that I can use in the classroom to help with time management?”

I like to teach in small segments which helps to hold a student’s interest easier.

I would give an introduction to the lesson and catch their interest for about 5 min. This might involve a short video that gets them interested in the lesson or the use of puppets or anything that will make them interested in learning this skill.

After that, I would show the steps written out for the skill that I’m teaching. I would explain it is like a recipe that we follow when we cook. This might take 5 minutes. (I like to write out the steps and practice it with a friend or family member to see if I missed any steps.) This procedure would be posted for all to see and use as a visual aid if needed later.

Then I would plan on modeling the skill I want them to learn. I would go through each step as if I was the student. Next, I would have a couple of students go through the steps for everyone to see. This might take 5 - 10 more minutes.

After that, I would plan for each student to complete at least three 15-to-20-minute activities in order to practice the skill. I like to use several numbered learning centers located around the room. This would allow young students to move around the room and not have to be still. I would have different centers for students with different abilities. Each student would be given a list of the 3 centers I want them to go to. The students can move to the next one on their list after they finish one. You would move around the room and monitor progress and offer help as needed. If there are two or more students who are finished with all of the activities, let them pair up and compare answers. If they have a different answer, let them figure out which one is right or they can ask you for help. If you run out of time, you just have them finish the last activity they are working on without going on to the next activity. Collect all work so you can evaluate their progress later.

Leave the last 5 minutes to review what was learned. Have everyone return to their desks. Review the procedure one last time. Have the students give you a thumbs up or thumbs down on whether they feel they did well with the lesson.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Teaching Online:Time Management

I am currently teaching a practicum class online and we run a virtual school program. I am learning a lot of things and want to share some tips along the way.

After observing a lot of the teachers, all of them have the same concern about time management.

It seems like everything takes longer online than in person.

I notice that teachers take longer with their introduction than it would normally take in a classroom. It is harder to tell if the students understand what concept the teachers are trying to introduce.

Once the introduction is over, the teachers start teaching the new skill. Usually they start by modeling the skill they want the student to learn. It is hard to model the skill and notice if the students are paying attention. Plus, many parents are in the background using the phone or watching TV which can be very distracting for the student. Even if the teacher mutes all participants on the Zoom meeting, the child is still distracted by what is going on in their own home. After modeling, the teacher checks for understanding which seems to take longer also. If a student doesn’t understand, the teacher explains the skill again. Again, it is hard to check that the student actually understands.

The next step is for students to practice the skill with the teacher. Allowing each student to try the skill online takes more time than if the students are doing it at their desks while the teacher walks around and checks progress.

After the students practice the skill with the teacher’s guidance, they move on to independent work. The students complete the practice and the parents take a picture of the completed work to email the teacher. If the students have made several errors, it is hard to wait until the next class meeting to review the errors and correct them.

One suggestion I have is to write out the procedures in a numbered list. For younger children you can color code each step. After each step, do the step on an example and use the color of step so it will be easy to match the example with the written step. This can be sent to the student before the lesson so they can use it as a reference.

I think this process would make it easier for the student to follow and it will be helpful for the parents to help their child. I think it will also save time so the student will have a visual aid to follow.

I think teachers should also plan on more than one day to teach a new concept online. They should plan on students needing at least 2 – 3 class periods to learn a new concept online.

How do you deal with time management online? Please share.

Photo by Malvestida Magazine on Unsplash

Leaving On Time

In Good intentions (how to be on time) from Seth Godin's Blog , Seth Godin shares,

“The hard part about being on time is standing up and moving on. But the cost of being squishy is that you’re not only disrespecting the next person, you’re stressed all the time.”

Anyone who knows me knows that I like to be on time. I’m actually early most of the time. I’m early because I don’t like to arrive anywhere feeling rushed. I also want the people I’m meeting feel like I value them. I care about their time. I don’t want anyone to be waiting for me.

While I have no problem arriving on time, I do have problems leaving something. Even when I know that I have somewhere else to be, I find it hard when someone wants more of my time. When someone wants to continue the conversation even after I say I need to leave, I see it as a compliment that they want to spend more time with me. But is it a compliment or an insult? Are they saying that whatever they have to say is more important than my time or what I have to do?

Leaving late can have a snowball effect. If I don’t leave on time, I’ll be late for the next meeting and not early as I prefer. By continuing the conversation, there is no time to regroup for the next meeting. Rushing may cause me to speed and get a speeding ticket which will only make me later.

When it is time to go, I need to say my goodbyes and leave. Don’t allow the conversation to continue. If more needs to be said, I will explain that I will call and set up another meeting.

I need to be more mindful of the leaving time as much as the arriving time.

When it is time to go, I need to let people go. Don’t make them say they have to go again and again. When it is time to go, say goodbye.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

Spinning Wheels

In Waste: Finding Balance in a Demanding World from  Cool Cat Teacher Blog, coolcatteacher@gmail.com, Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher, asks,

“Did you complain pointlessly at any time? Are you pouring your time and energy into too many things? Even worse, are you pouring them into things that aren’t really a calling for you anymore?”

Usually at the end of every day, my husband and I talk about our day. We talk about how productive we were, whether it was a good or bad day, and the highlights of the day. I don’t know when we started doing this but I enjoy our conversation as we evaluate our day. I feel proud when I’ve had a good day, disappointed when it isn’t, and it is nice to have his support as I share about it all. I hope I do the same for him.

It is hard when I look back and see that I didn’t get a lot done during the day. We call it “spinning our wheels” where we feel we were busy but nothing got done. I think it helps to reflect about the day to see why it happened.

Where did I lose my productivity? Was I too disorganized? Usually this is my biggest problem. If I can see where I had the biggest problem, I can correct it the next day. Usually the next day is better because I have analyzed the day before.

Sometimes I realize that the project I was working on isn’t that important or necessary. I ask myself why I bother to continue doing something that doesn’t give me joy. When I was growing up, my parents always pushed me to finish what I started. Now that I’m an adult, I have to remind myself that if it isn’t necessary, I don’t have to finish it!

Sometimes what I am doing is not fun but necessary. Usually if I make a list of all the steps that I need to do, I can check each one off as I finish it. This really helps me get it done when I don’t want to do it.

All of these things are great to talk about with my class. Many of them feel the same way at times and I  need to show them that even adults feel that way in the real world. They need to learn how to handle these feelings. That is the hardest thing for teenagers to deal with. Helping them deal with their feelings means they will be more successful in other ways.

How do you handle waste time? How do you help your students deal with this problem? Please share.

Original photo: https://flic.kr/p/bAgDm1 

T is for Time Management

School is back in session now and the hardest thing I see teachers and students struggle with is Time Management.

The main thing to do is to try to find a system that works for you. This might involve starting a system and then fine tuning it until it works. What may work for me might not work for you. Here are some suggestions:

Agenda/Calendar book – some schools issue an agenda book for students to use. The trick is getting in the habit of using it. I think it is also important not to just add when something is due or a test is scheduled but to add reminders a few days ahead of the due date. It might start out being a pain but the more you make it a habit, the easier it is to do and rely on.

Online Calendar – I use Google Calendar. I like that I can schedule reminders for advance warnings. These reminders can be sent as an email or pop up on my phone. Again, this needs to be made into a habit for it to be effective.

Priority List – I like to start each day with making a priority list. I list all of the things that I need to do for that day. Then I number them in order of priority. As the day goes along, I like marking each item off the list. I have moved away from paper and pencil sometimes and make a list on “Google Keep” which lets me add checkboxes. As I get things done, I can check the box and it moves it off the list.

Personal Time – I think it is important to schedule meal times and at least an hour of “me” time in the day. Eating is so important and gives you energy to do the things that need to be done. Too many teacher skip meals to get more done but I think it slows you down in the long run. Either you get sick from not eating right or you get so exhausted that you make too many mistakes that have to be corrected. Having “me” time helps to handle the stress in the workplace and is vital for mental and physical health.

I truly feel these things work well for both students and teachers. What do you do for time management? What would you add to this list? Please share.