Interruptions
I have found my biggest problem with time management is continuous interruptions. I am in an administrative position, but also teach. I oversee students and also instructors. While I do NOT mind helping others and am VERY approachable, this does create time management challenges for me. When absolutely necessary, I will close my door; however, I have strong reservations about being behind closed doors for too long. I am always concerned a student will need me and not want to interrupt by knocking (due to the level of respect we have for each other). Honestly, my instructors create the majority of the interuptions for me (again, all VERY purposeful). The biggest challenge is while I do not mind being interrupted (want to help), I lose a tremendous amount of time getting back into the flow of whatever I was working on when the situation is handled. Any suggestions to how I can better handle these transitions to avoid the delay in returning to the task at hand when I am ready?
Hi Anita,
I agree that we must manage our time so that we can get our work done and if that means not be available for a scheduled amount of time then that is okay.
Good time mamgement is so very important and we as instructors must strive to manage our time wisely and also be there for our students. It can sometimes turn into a balancing act. We must make decisons that are not only beneficial for the person in need but for the good of the company.
Vernise
I think that is a great idea as well and will make that suggestion to my director. Thank you!
Could you please give a couple of examples of those precautionary measures.
Steven I agree with you. Some are not avoidable however more than less are unnecessary.
Thatis a great idea, to set aside a set time for student inquiries. I think I will implement that.
there should be a time set aside for extra help for thoes students falling behind that will not interfear with your grading process. that way they know they can come to you with any questions and not worry about interupting you.
Jeffrey, Good point and I have a lot of personal experience with this as well! As instructors, it's great to put forth a vision for how you want your semester to flow. This gives you great structure to fall back on. At the same time, it's important to be flexible to your student learning needs. Some students need more time with the material than others.
Dr. Melissa Read
We also have to have a back up plan as far as lesson planning is concerned. Often times our lesson for that day is not completed because of some students unable to grasp the information immediately after delivery. There are also some students who interrupt the class by asking impertinent questions.
Ms Meyer,
for what it's worth, I am with you! I like the way you realize people are what it is all about. I'll be watching this forum to see if I can learn other ways to help me, but I do not want to be one of those 'highly productive' people who have cut themselves off from their fellow man. I'm sure you are a great instructor. Please continue to post lessons you may learn in this area as I am interested in improving!
We as teachers know the importance of utilizing every moment of instructional time. There never seems to be enough time during the day to cover all the information required in a lesson. Addressing behavior issues or sudden changes to the school schedule can cut away at valuable class time as well. But even when students are focused and the schedules go according to plan, there are times when outside factors can cause interruptions. Some interruptions cannot be avoided, but by taking a few precautionary measures, teachers can keep the amount of unnecessary interruptions to a minimum.
Or delegating certain times of the day to make yourself unavailable so that you can complete any clerical work you might need to do, therefor making yourself more completely available throughout the rest of the day.
Robert, All great points. Program chairs balance a tremendous volume of tasks, coming from a variety of audiences. These include fellow administrators, students and faculty as well has personal sources. Often times, the greatest challenge program chairs face - and to your point - is that each and every audience feels like a priority. It's hard to choose where to spend your time and when when wanting to be most effective in your role.
Dr. Melissa Read
Robert, I have to completely agree with you on your post. I also find it very difficult to complete my administrative duties and my teaching load and always getting interrupted. I have found that many times a student or instructor may find something urgent but it could have actually waited.
Interruptions aren't the biggest problem I have UNLESS they continue for days on end. It is usually easy enough for me to catch myself back up with a minimum of effort.
As a program chair, I too have found it difficult to teach and administrate effectively at times. During the week there are constant 'fires' that need to be put out. I try to work on most of my admin duties when both of my instructors are in class. This usually keeps the students busy enough to leave me be long enough to make some progress on my admin duties. However, I was interrupted by a student just now as I was typing this reply to the forum!! It is a battle we will constantly have to deal with. I think it important to remember that the needs of the students and instructors may seem trivial to us at times but to them is very very important!
I have had the same issue in the past. Even though we do want to help others and be approachable, we also need to take care of our other duties. We need to be able to focus on the task to get it done properly and others need to respect that. There is no shame in closing your door at times to get your work done.
