I have done a to-do list, but never went back and prioritized the list as I get things done. I see the point in doing so since new things are added to the list.
Melissa, I like the idea of pacing yourself in the way you describe. Sometimes, we just don't have it in us to muscle through a task completely. Some tasks span over several days and in some cases, several weeks or months. So we've got to be reasonable with ourselves.
Dr. Melissa Read
Teresa, Great approach. Sometimes large tasks feel unmanageable. When we get overwhelmed, it's hard to move forward. Breaking up tasks gives us shorter term and more realistic goals. This can help us stay motivated to proceed.
Dr. Melissa Read
Sandra, I know it's hard to get started. It seems overwhelming to prioritize and put numbers to tasks - like an extra step. I can assure you that for most instructors, it's well worth the time investment. I recommend starting small and working your way up. Perhaps you can just circle the priority tasks for the day and go from there.
Dr. Melissa Read
I will choose how I can break large tasks down to a manageable size
At our college we have standing tasks that are due every month - they are important, but at least we know when to get them done. My problem lies with something "urgent" such as this item that happened last week: my dean sent out an email asking that we review a 50-page document and get back to her in 2 days. She also needed to have someone compile all our comments so that she wouldn't get hit with aproximately 50 responses. What I found out was her immediate supervisor needed that data immediately (or so they thought), so the pressure was the typical downward push. How do we get the people who aren't in the classroom to see that we do a lot more than just teach and sometimes there last minute "urgencies" are not urgent to those of us on the front line? That week I took the editing home and did the actual urgent end of term work at school. It doesn't always work that way though. And once again the job infringed on my family time.
I have been trying to do this all along but after this lesson I now will start numbering things. I am sure this will help me because before I just made a list and didn't prioritize. I am hopeful things will become easier for me. IT sure makes a lot of sense.
I find that I tend to complete easy or fun tasks first, or tasks that I will have the biggest visual result (like I need proof that I did something). Its harder to sit down and do something time consuming when theres a lot of little things to do also. I tend to be middle of the road and set a goal to do a certain amount of a task, such as writing a lecture on new material, and when I complete the goal (lets say half), I give myself time to do some activities or fun stuff before finishing. It helps me to not get overwhelmed and resentful of a large task and I still get other things done.
Nannette, It's amazing how powerful it can be to simply write your tasks down on paper, and to prioritize important tasks. We often accomplish so much more with this simple method. It's also great to be able to get tasks down on paper and out of our minds. Really can clear our heads.
Dr. Melissa Read
I find that when I make to do lists things are getting accomplished. On the other hand when life happens and I neglect to follow through with my lists I get behind and frustrated. This is an excellant way to stay on task.
Sheila, Love the idea of mini tasks and I use this method in my own life too. It's nice to be able to knock things out. Really gives you a sense of accomplishment and helps you see how you're making progress. Note, you can break bigger tasks into smaller mini tasks if the larger tasks feel daunting.
Dr. Melissa Read
Chris, Procrastination does almost always leads to stress. It's best to get a jump start on important tasks before they pile up.
Dr. Melissa Read
Prioritizing will help get everything on your list done by importance. Procrastination will always lead to stress.
It is a good idea to prioritize your tasks and complete them in the chosen order to have better results, in the end.
Cutting corners usually lead to additional work because there is always a need to complete the tasks at hand, taking some valuable time doing it a second and third time.
Course objectives should guide us in prioritizing the lesson plans for class, but sometimes it is important to emphasize your lesson points with some examples of real life that might take you out of the subject for a short while, so we should not be afraid of doing so.
One of the things that most helps me manage my time well is utilizing my smaller chunks of time very well and completing "mini-tasks" that match that amount of time. If I have only 20 minutes, I might not have enough time to sit down and think about a lesson plan that would be priority 1, but I can check and input that week's Current Event forum scores. That helps me in the end!
Germany, So true. Students can easily see if we are well organized and prepared. When we are not, they often lose confidence in our abilities. It's important to maintain their perception that we have everything under control.
Dr. Melissa Read
In the profession I teach in, writing goals, both long-term and short-term, is a common practice. Grading our short-term goals to an acheiveable level is also important. The importance of setting "realistic" and "acheiveable" goals was not really discussed and may be an important concept to touch on.
As far as methods that I've used in the past: I, like many others, have a Microsoft Office Outlook e-mail account. If you click on the Calendars tab, you have the option to print out a month, week, or even day. One this print-out, lets say the daily, you can start your morning off by making your "to do" list and then proceed with your day. As things pop-up unexpectedly, you can enter them on your list under the time of day it happened. Saving these daily lists (i.e., hole-punching and placing in a notebook) can provide a great record to review at the end of the month, for assessing your time spent, productivity, etc.
Great module.
It is very important to prioritize your class lesson. Most students are very attentive, and can notice if an instructor is not organized. The more organized you are as a professor, the better opportunity for the students to better understand the lesson being taught! Also they have a clearer understanding of the information provided to them.
Brandon, Trying to manage stress in both work and personal life is often a challenge for instructors. They tend to be good at one or the other but not both. Work tends to be where most instructors focus on trying to change, but personal life is just as important. Finding good balance between the two is the key.
Dr. Melissa Read
Since I teach all day Friday and Saturday, I give myself three days at the beginning of the week to relax and recuperate. After that, I divide my to do list across the remaining week days, starting with my first class. I prioritize the course I teach twice in one day and leave my Saturday classes until later. I usually work most of the morning and into the early afternoon, then I make myself stop. If I have completed everything for that day, I come back to it later in the evening after my brain has relaxed. This system works very well for me, especially since my lesson plans require a lot of creativity - something that can definitely not be put on a schedule or called upon at will.
