Write down everything

Earlier in July I wrote about Jo Hartmann teaching me that time is not elastic. Another colleague, Maggie Austin, showed me that time is not elastic by example.  I call Maggie’s method “write-down-everything.”

I have had the privilege of working with Maggie on a few projects.  In one of our planning meetings, she showed me a list she had created of essential tasks that go into an event. Maggie had listed every detail such as prepare handouts, set up participant tables and chairs, hang posters, set up welcome table, prepare participant folders, order snacks for breaks, and tidy up after first day. She had included an approximate time each task would take.  I was amazed at how much time these sorts of tasks take—I had planned for events and classes before--but in my mind--I had always thought about the time it takes to study the material, plan the activities for participants, and prepare the handout. I had not planned for the phone calls, the set-up, and the gathering of auxiliary materials.

Now I call this time management strategy “write-down-everything.” Whether I am planning a study session for myself, a team meeting with a few colleagues, or a professional development event for an entire school district, I need to remember to write down everything.  I write down everything for three reasons:

1. I realize how much time the work will actually take
2. I am not rushed when I do my studying
3. I can check off the tasks as I finish them to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Maggie and I are not the only ones to use this write-down-everything method. Next time I will share a time management blog that incorporates this method and takes it to the next level.  

Time is NOT elastic

I learn many strategies from watching and listening to my colleagues. Let me highlight one of those today.

Jo Hartman taught me that time is not elastic. She claimed she has the same problem that I do about ignoring a time frame and concentrating on completing a project.  I am not sure I totally believe her. Jo may have time-is-not-elastic-itis, but she hides it well. She rarely seems frazzled and I have not heard a cross or impatient word from her when a deadline is looming. 

I am still learning that indeed, time is NOT elastic. Although it seems admirable to focus on the project rather than the timeframe, that may not be so admirable in this information, multi-tasking age.  Good teachers and students do focus on completion of a project, but it is no longer admirable or even possible to complete one project before starting on another.  I used to pride myself on completing one project before tackling the next one on my to-do list.  Now I try to find commonalities in my work projects so I can see what may work for more than one assignment. I am not advocating using the exact same communication or information for more than one assignment/project, but I do use the same general idea and modify it to fit the situation.

 For instance, I plan to use the same connecting activity with two different groups of educators.  Last week I facilitated a Common Core State Standards training for K-2 grade educators.  The topic was bringing rigor to the classroom. For the opening table talk on the third day we conducted an exercise in which half of the people at each table (the A’s) had an opportunity to explain a rigorous situation they had experienced.  After listening to the A’s, the other half of the people at the same table (the B’s) had an opportunity to explain a difficult situation they had experienced.  Then the table discussion was “What is the difference between rigorous and difficult?” Educators came up with clear differences between rigorous and difficult and they came to a consensus that difficult is more emotional than rigorous. Rigorous is something the person feels proud of when it is accomplished.  One table determined that people need to employ rigor to get through a difficult situation.  The educators then discussed the value of rigor for K-2 students. My goal was to put educators in a position to discuss how primary students could be successful in rigorous situations.

This same activity will work to meet one of the goals of my next professional develop event.  This week  I help facilitate the annual retreat for South Dakota Learning Power online educators. I plan to use the same connecting exercise for these teachers of Advanced Placement high school students.  Even though the group will be only one quarter of the size of the K-2 educators and the AP educators have a very different focus than the K-2 educators, the activity will still be productive.  I will use the same process with the A’s and B’s at each table. This time my goal is to put educators in a position to discuss what processes they can use to focus on student learning rather than content.  Educators will likely discuss the bigger picture of helping students master not only the rigorous content of their particular AP courses, but also strategies to help students master any rigorous learning situation.

Jo explicitly told me that time is not elastic. Another of my colleagues, Maggie Austin, has taught me about time management by example. Stay tuned for more about what Maggie has shown me….