Time Management Reflection - Five Star Course

For at least three days, try consistently implementing the strategies that your classmates have suggested (or some of your own) to develop some new habits for time management. At the end of your allotted timeframe, reflect on this process in a blog post on your blog*. What strategies did you use that seemed to be successful? How do you know you’ve been successful? Conclude your reflection with some advice for someone else who might struggle in the same area.

When I took the time management quiz, I discovered (or rather, it was reiterated to me) that I am not at all a superstar when it comes to setting goals.  It has always been an area with which I struggle.  I know and fully understand the benefits of goal setting, but much like meal planning, just don't make the time to sit down and accomplish this simple task.  For one week, I decided to really focus on setting goals and following through with making a plan and taking action to complete my many responsibilities that come with being a wife, mommy, and kindergarten teacher.

Some of my classmates have recommended the covey matrix model, where each task is analyzed and placed in a four section box.  In theory, I liked this idea and attempted to utilize it for the first few days.  I found that I didn't follow through in accomplishing the tasks in the boxes as I should.  After the first few days, I modified my list to "Do Today," followed by goals for the remainder of the week, based on day.  I even set up a goal setting list for whenI go back to school.  Each day will have a specific task: Monday: Lesson plans for the following week, Tuesday: Run copies, Wednesday: Plan for Center Day (a fun Friday activity kindergarten students at my school participate in where we provide fun, educational crafts for students and their grown-ups), Thursday: Place copies in stacker by day, and Friday: File papers, etc.  This worked very well for me the week before Christmas Break at school.  I hope it continues to work and becomes my habit loop, as discussed in the article by Howard Jacobson.

In making a conscious effort to become a better goal-setter, I have given up my morning "Facebook scroll," instead replacing it with goal-setting and review time.  In the same time it takes me to scroll through my newsfeed on Facebook, I can plan my day and feel somewhat accomplished before ever getting out of bed.  So far, this is working beautifully.  I have heard that it takes 30 days to create a habit, so we shall see.  So far, I like the accountability of goal-setting, as well as the accomplishment I feel when I look at an empty list at the end of the day!

To others in a similar situation - I recommend to take a look at you day at see how much time is spent doing meaningless tasks, such as television and Facebook.  I still watch television, and occasionally browse Facebook, but I found it was taking up too much of my time and my stress level was much higher than it needed to be.  It takes me about 15 minutes in the morning to review my goals for the week - and it makes my day go so much smoother!  Had I worked on setting goals a few months ago, I wouldn't have waited until close to Christmas Break to complete this optional course!  Make a list of your short and long term goals, and refer to it regularly.

Optional Five Star Course

One of the Five Star courses I decided to take to help kickstart my transition to a "tech-ier" teaching world involved a portion on the role of blogging for educators.  I have a teacher friend who blogs regularly.  I very much enjoy spending hours looking at the blogs of other kindergarten teachers, gaining many new ideas for my own classroom.  One of the articles I read for the class was "Why Teachers Should Blog," by Shelly Blake-Plock.  It was a great read, and hit the nail on the head why it's so difficult for me to blog.  At times, it's difficult for me to put my thoughts and opinions down on paper, or in this case, the Internet for the whole world to see and comment on.  In addition, the author makes the fabulous point that "to blog is to teach yourself what you think."  This is powerful stuff! When you blog, it forces you to take ownership of your thoughts and feelings.  I love the reflection aspect of blogging.  It is my goal to use it more effectively as the year progresses and refer to my blog in upcoming years as a tool to determine what worked and what didn't in my classroom.

I also feel that blogging is a terrific tool to be used for collaboration with other teachers.  I know have access to thought-provoking, educational, meaningful activities going on in other states that I would never have had access to in the past.  With the decrease in funding for professional development, the opportunity to read the thoughts and ideas of other educators has been a true blessing!  In conclusion, my goal is to make a smooth transition from "reader of blogs" to "contributor to blogs" by the beginning of our next school year!

Introduction to Blended and Online Teaching: Post #3

For this portion of my assignment, I was asked to write a response to Dan Pink's YouTube video: The Puzzle of Motivation.  In this video, he is adamant that business does not listen to what science knows.  Research has shown that providing incentives and punishment for good/bad work results in less productivity.  More freedom in the business world has resulted in greater productivity and worker satisfaction.  He states that the three biggest principles include: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.  

Although his video particularly targeted the business world, this could easily be applied to education. When he talks about the "candle experiment,"  he relays the information that giving monetary incentives diminishes the creativity that flows when individuals are not put on on a time restraint, pitting them against others.   In the experiment, the group that was given no incentives solved the problem faster than the incentive group.  I feel that this could become a problem in education.  When schools are told that they can only reward a certain percentage of the most highly effective teachers, teachers are less likely to collaborate and share resources - and the students suffer.  

We should focus on purposeful planning.  With each activity, we should ask, "What is my purpose in teaching my lesson?  How will my students show mastery?  Is this meaningful for them?".  Teacher autonomy is important.  Textbooks can be utilized as a tool for the teacher's toolbox, but should not be the only method from which they gather lessons.  The world has too many creative educators and terrific resources for boring instruction!