A valuable piece I have learned here is to indicate URGENCY in my to-do list. This is not something I have ever done in my years of making lists. Without it I have had to keep scrolling through the entire list to find URGENT items - great tip!! thanks
For those situations where unexpected competing priorities arise and I really need a little more time to provide materials or a response back to administration, I find that "early" polite communication to see if there is some deadline flexibility is often met with support and cooperation. Also absolutely being on time most of the time helps to build trust with adminstration, so they are then willing to help me out on occasion. Being in good relationship helps lower my stress, and gives me support from others when needed.
This is an important point Tirizia, Life events such as a move, birth of a new baby or even a death in the family can shake up our schedules and cause delays in task completion. What's important is to just understand the way these life events impact our schedules and communicate this to others where appropriate.
I teach part-time and own a company. I write down all of the activities that I must complete with a due date. My schedule often so I have to update my schedule daily. I purchased a new PDA in October 2009. Since I started using an electronic calendar that I have with me all the time, I have found that I have more free time. I now have the ability to change my schedule immediately and set alarms to remind me of upcoming events. It still seems that I do not allow enough time for grading causing me to spend a lot of time late at night grading.
I usually do the tasks right away. But lately I have been very busy. I bought a house and at least I had a week to pack up and move. I am packing and grading papers at the same time. The fist priority was making sure the web was up and running.
Excellent Jennifer. And I agree that it feels good to cross a bunch of easy tasks off the list. It makes you feel like you are making progress. As long as you eventually face the more difficult tasks head on, this method can work well.
Organizing tasks by time of day is an interesting concept Nicholas. This kind of scheduling demands that you think about how long each task will take and whether it fits into various time intervals. Probably helps you set realistic expectations about how much work can get done and when it will be complete.
I am an immediacy type of person and typically enjoy being this way. I have an interest in exploring the To Do List idea further and will be incorporating it into my online calendar. I do this a bit by organizing tasks by time of day well, but I do not rank/prioritize, which is something I shall tackle next. Interesting food for thought...Nick
Dr. Read - I find I am one of those people who do the quickest tasks first just to cross them off the list. That leaves the harder, more time consuming tasks at the end. I take no regard for what's more important. After reading this module I will definitely try prioritizing my task list instead of doing the easy stuff first. Although I have to admit I like crossing things off my list :)
I like your concept of a reaching a quota each day Brian. This keeps you chipping away at grading papers and completing other priority tasks, but also gives you a sense of accomplishment at the end of each day.
I like the idea of being flexible and moving things on the list around as needed. This keeps you always prepared for the highest priority task.
Hi All,
Each day I have many tasks to accomplish, as I am sure we all do. I work from home teaching on-line classes for two schools. I also have a 4 year old son. My wife works outside the home. The task that is most urgent, I tackel first thing in the morning. One of the schools that I work for has a 72 hour grading policy. Once you are done grading one assignment, you usually have another one waiting for you. I have what I call a quota that I try to get done each day. This way I do not burn myself out grading too many assignments in one day. I try to grade as may assignments of the quota as possible before my son wakes up. After my son wakes up we spend time together and get ready for pre-school. After I drop him off to school, it is back to work. After school, I pick up my son and I take my him to the grandparents house for a few hours. This gives me time to finish urgent work. I don't really have too much time to procrastinate or think I will change the way I priortize my tasks. I feel that there is not much I can do to change my schedule at this time given the circumstances I am currently in. Next year, when my son is in school for a full day, it will open up more time. I make daily lists and cross of the items as I complete them. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I also like to go to the gym which is good for coping with stress. Then as you know are the chores of cooking and cleaning up for the day.
Regards,
Brian
Hi Molly,
I think I am pretty good with time management as well. I may be guilty of immediacy. I like to get as much done as I can each day. When grading my assignments I set what I call a quota to get done each day. How do you manage your time grading assignments, posting to the DB, updating announcements and responding to needs of students and administartion?
Regards,
Brian
I usually make a list everyday and for each week. I then move things around based how my day or week is going. I always have a list with me because I have too much to do everyday and may forget something.
Thanks Dr. Melissa. Knowing is half the battle.
Yes, we've got to become better at balancing tasks when little ones are involved. It makes their lives better and we can serve as good role models too.
I have a habit of juggling the importance and priority of tasks in my mind, I have been pretty good at it. However, I have realized that I cannot maintain this practice, because I now have little one in my life and I need to develop a better, more formal plan of action when planning my time. additionally, a weekly activity, planning the week has been very effective so far.
I think I do pretty decent job juggling my time and my tasks, but I am always looking for ways to improve the way I do this.
I am a list-maker. I prefer to see what I need to do today and tomorrow and I add how much time I should spend on the task.
It's great to hear that you are on the right track Anthony. Sometimes it's just nice to confirm that we are heading in the right direction.
I think that I have a fine balance between accomplishing my tasks now and procrastinating. I tend to prioritize my to do list almost daily and address each important task first. When the list is done I will wait until the next day to address new coming tasks to the list unless it is an absolute emergency. This helps to restrain the temptation to react immediately to all tasks.
Based on what I have learned I have realized that I already have the formula down for successful time management. Thus, I don't need to change a thing.
