Читать книгу Real Talk About Time Management - Serena Pariser - Страница 13

If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life depended on the solution, I would spend the first fifty-five minutes determining the proper question to ask, for once I know the proper question, I could solve the problem in less than five minutes.

—Albert Einstein

As teachers, we are persistent question askers. We ask questions every day in our classroom when we are checking on our students’ behaviors and seeking to discover what they are learning. Questions guide us to understand what our students know and comprehend and help us decide where we need to go from there. They help us unpack what is going on inside the students’ minds.

Let’s apply this art of asking questions to ourselves and take a reflective look at how we are spending our time and what we might need to adjust to be able to do the things we want to do. Think of time as a limited resource, similar to money. You plan now to have more for later.

Ask yourself these questions:

 ◗ How am I spending my time?

 ◗ What tasks should I be doing and why? What do I want to accomplish this week/this prep/this hour?

 ◗ Why is this important?

 ◗ When is the best time to do these tasks?

 ◗ Where is the best place to do these tasks?

We’ll address the answers to these questions in the chapters to come.

Let’s take a look at how you are doing with time. Circle the number that corresponds with how you feel right now for each statement.

____________________ Average (Mean) Score

Score:

 16–20: If you have a mean score of 16–20, you’re doing well with time management. You probably feel like you have a healthy work–life balance, but you might be looking for strategies to up your game even more.

 12–15: After a few years in the classroom, most of us are probably in this range. Most of the time you feel like you have your time management under control, but you’d like to have more control consistently throughout the entire year.

 8–11: We’re here to help! You’re thirsty for time management strategies that could greatly improve your classroom, your mental health, and your life. We got you.

 7 or below: Let’s take this one step at a time. We’ve all been there.

Take a few minutes to reflect on your score. Use the questions below to guide your thinking or share with a friend or colleague. Taking some time to reflect and ask questions can reveal to ourselves the decisions we are subconsciously making day to day regarding how we spend our time.

Your Turn

1 What was your average score? What would you like it to be?

2 What do you think is the cause of the discrepancy, if there is one?

3 Where did you develop the time management skills you use today?