From this module I now realize that not everything needs to be done right now. Prioritizing my tasks is the key to accomplishing the tasks.
I am very good at prioritizing and completing tasks that need to be done. Sometimes I am a little too good at this and it can get overwhelming. I believe, after reading some of this course, that I suffer from the obstacle of immediacy. I do feel overwhelmed at times because I feel that I need to complete everything and need to get it done asap. At work I am very good at creating lists and managing my tasks/time. This lesson has been very helpful so far and I know I can learn some things about stress management!
I try to work on most important items first, but sometimes I get side tracked by something that seems more interesting at the time. I think I'm a lot better at avoiding procrastination than I have been in the past.
I have taken some time to think about this module and I found it to be very interesting because, I encourage my students to create a to-do list and break larger projects into smaller projects so that they are not overwhelmed. When I turn the tables back onto myself, I do create to-do lists to complete my responsibilities as an instructor. However, I have been guilty of procrastination and immediacy with tasks, grading, and so on. I did not realize that trying to grade assignments as they came in could hinder my process and or make me less effective in other areas. I will set times as to when I will grade assignments instead of trying to grade assignments as they come.
Jennifer
Yes, some instructors work best when we just focus on one thing at a time. It's nice to be able to have a full sense of completion and then move forward to the next task.
Yes, it's important not to use technology just for the sake of doing so. Some technology really does have utility for instructors. Other technology is just flashy. Learning the difference and leveraging that which helps us is key.
Wow, love the way you are using the color system Bonni. Great work. That's taking prioritization to the next level for sure.
I maintain a fairly elaborate to-do list with due dates included. I review it daily. As due dates get closer, I change the colors from yellow to orange to red as a visual cue to keep my priorities straight.
I find I do many of the things mentioned in the immediacy section...not that they take a high priority, but alot of tasks can be accomplished in those 5-10 minutes blocks of time that would otherwise be wasted.
I have to be careful about new technology. It's easy for me to get caught up in learning and exploring a new tool (playing with it) such that I get side tracked from what I originally went to the tool for. Sometimes, I have to remind myself to not fix something if it isn't broken. If an old tool (such as paper and pencil) works for me, I try to be skeptical about the latest and greatest thing that may or may not be truly helpful. This is hard for me as I am no Luddite and love new gadgets. This is yet another area in which prioritization is necessary.
I usually try to complete a task in its entirity. I focus just on that task,carefully reading and re reading if necessary. I feel a sense of accomplishment after completing my prioritization. This has always worked well for me and I plan on continuing this until something better comes up.
It is important to prioritize your work so you can place importance on what needs to be done first.
Yes, it's important to breath David. I like your approach of knocking out priority tasks first. Then breaking and then getting to everything else. You must feel a sense of relief midway through your process.
I like to get the most important tasks done first. Then, I go down the line of importantance. Once I get all of the important tasks done I can take a breath and relaxe for a moment. I have found that taking that breath helps to focus on the other tasks that I still need to do!
I already feel I do a good job of taking care of the more urgent tasks and taking care of the less important ones next. I still have room to improve and will work on it.
Yes, do stick to the plan Michael. I know it's hard when you have so many people who need your help. If you don't help yourself every once in a while, you will end up in a position where you can't help anyone else.
Excellent Craig! I'm glad to hear you will be incorporating some of what you learned.
Hello Dr.Read, Due to the fact that my task list can change greatly from week to week the module has been very helpful in understanding how to prioritize the most urgent tasks and the ones that are not as important or urgent. This is going to be very helpful in the future when my task list is very long and stressful. I look foward to the next module. Thank you, Craig
I have found that over the years I try to accomplish tasks right away. I find myself struggling at it. I find that as the week goes on priorities change faster then I can keep up with them. By the end of the week I have accomplished alot of things for everyone else but the things that I have to accomplish are still left undone. What I have learned from these modules is I need to stick to my plan.
If you have a good system in place, keep doing what you're doing Scott! It's important to have a good sense of what works for you.
Yes, the number system really works great, especially for instructors who get overwhelmed by keeping track of dates.
