I don't think that I need to change how I prioritize because it is instrumental in what I have done my entire career; therefore adapting to this method was old hat.
What I have found to be crucial in my daily management is to constantly refine the prioritized tasks so that they may flow more naturally or so that they may be clearer at defining the points I wish to convey.
That's great Adam. It's always important to work ahead when you can. At the same time, It's key to make sure you have all the information prior to beginning a task so you can be as effective and efficient as possible during completion.
I have always relied on a "to-do" list as a means of organizing my time. My strategy is to work through the most urgent tasks first. However, when I become burned out of, say, grading papers, I select something that might be less of a priority but easier from my "to-do" list in order to break up the time and keep me fresh and focused on what I am working on. The module sort of advised against getting caught up in non-urgent tasks, even if they are quick and easy to complete, but I tend to find that a useful break from some of the more daunting, time consuming tasks.
After reviewing the lessons, I got a great insight on how to better prioritize my "to-do" list. I found somethings I thought that were more important than others actually weren't.
I do prioritze my task from most important to least; however, another factor to keep in consideration is multitasking. Sometimes it's necessary, but also could cause other problems.
With some of my high priority tasks I have 3 weeks to get them done. I will do part of those tasks when I get the information, instead of waiting untill the last minute. So when I get to the due date I don't have to rush to get those tasks done.
Yes, as an instructor, sometimes the days can feel far too short. Task prioritization can really help get us through.
For the future I will prioritize my task so I will fill less crowded with the time alloted me for the task. Some times the day seems so short trying to get everything done, Yes I fill that this insight will help me organize a lot more and use my time more wisely with less procrastination.
sometimes the challenge is to define which task hsa the highest priority. But despite this apsect, a to do list, with priority setting or deadline settings, is always a good tool to use to maintain the focus on what nees to be done. It is clear that sometimes an update or change to the plan might be necessary but it is a minor problem.
Time is a limited ressource and in our busy life it is important to use it in them most efficient way. We know that at work we have a position entailing responsibilities and tasks. Sometimes we might overhelmed by the amount of work but this can also be due by the lack of organization and time management. Therefore setting time aside to analyze each task, its priority, its difficulty, the potential deadline associated with it, will help in definining the priority for each task.
Indeed! Class time is hard because we can't multitask. So we're only getting one thing done at a time. It's important not to rush the topics though and focus on providing our students with course content at the right pace!
i get most of my tasks done in a timley matter , but far as class time i go to fast some times
I certainly will start to go back and re-priorize my list. My list changes everyday and somethings get added to my to do list all the time. I will definetly use this tool.
Yes, student requests are often dealt with with a sense of urgency. They are important.
right now I feel ok with how things are done.
I have routine tasks both daily and weekly. then there are tasks assigned by superiors some are sometimes known in advance an other times come out of the blue but are needed yesterday.
I try and complete one task well and then move on to another. Those left over move to the top the list for tomorrow.
One of the greatest benefits at my work is several persons are always reminding me of the tasks needed either by questions of how to compleete the assignment or asking my opinion of how they completed the assigment.
One task that always takes on a sence of urgency is our students requests to understand the course material.
Wow, it sounds like you kept very busy in your last term Charlotte. It's good to hear you have good organizational skills to lean on during hard times.
You make an excellent point when you mention how vitally important prioritizing is for successful completion of tasks. Even so, I would imagine that there were times that you were rather stressed about the situation :).
I find I operate best when I have a list of tasks prioritized and complete each accordingly.
This past term I had to teach two 6 hour courses, one 3 hour course, and spend time at my clinical sites. None of the courses were prepped, so I learned very quickly to prioritize tasks. I am a list maker and would make a list everyday, then highlight those things that had to be completed that day. I managed to stay afloat, but not without putting in overtime. This challenging term would have been impossible if I hadn't stayed organized.
All great points Jeff! And yes, sometimes the key is to just set everything aside and hit the reset button.
