Those are great questions Scott! Over the years, I've learned that the best method is the one that you'll use. If you feel more productive with paper, then I say stick with it.
Your “pod†method is an interesting approach. I like the idea of mini learning communities. These social circles will not only improve learning but will also likely improve student retention.
Thanks, Dr. Read. It seems that these "Pods" are creating a greater respect for students as well as work displayed each week. I've also placed one student as the Pod president, which takes charge of collecting the finsihed works and entertains a forum for class discussion questions brought on by the group at large.
Yes, I've changed the list to choose things that must be finished versus things that I would like finished.
In my own experience task prioritization is the most difficult thing to do. I serve as Academic Counselor in the same college i teach. Even if I try to avoid it, all my tasks get mixed up. Even when I am teaching, I can see a student out the door glass making a sign of a phone call that means he wants me to call them. At the time I am in class I will keep myself to the class, but the picture of the person asking me for a call is still on my mind. I have experienced that to have more than two hats could increse the chances of make a good prioritization of the tasks to be done. Any advice over that?
I am a firm believer in "to-do" lists. I have lists at work and at home. I break them down into time categories..."today", "this weekend", "when I'm bored", etc. I'd rather not rely on my memory for tasks. Life is easier having it written down and handy. And there is a satisfaction to crossing off a completed task.
Great points Jean! And actually, the process of getting things out of your head and on paper is called Cognitive externalization. Many people have enjoyed the benefits. Also, I really like the way you create categories for different tasks. I actually do the same thing on my list. Mine are high, medium, low and later.
Interesting points Lorna! And yes, task prioritization can be tricky. Your example of the student making the phone gesture while you were teaching is perfect. Clearly you needed to keep teaching. But there are other situations in which priority is not as clear. In situations like these, I like to think about the consequences or outcomes of not completing each task. For example, what would be the consequence of not completing your lecture? How does that compare with the consequence of not calling a student back right away? When we think in terms of outcomes and consequences, we can often come to conclusions about task priority.
I love to-do list. I started using them early on because I tend to panic if I have too much to do and I want to do everything at once. Using the list releases my panic and I love the physical action of scratching off things when they are done!
Making the list also makes it easier to prioritise. Sometimes I have done less important tasks because they were short and easy just to get them out of the way.
I always have a "To DO List." Being an instructor who also does many other functions for the school, I always refer back to my list. Some things need to be done the next day, and I am okay with that.
Students, prep work and grading comes first. The administrative duties come 2nd. I lead by example. So if I drop the ball, my students feel it is okay for them to do so also. I expect them to reach up to the bar I have set for them. 95% do. The other 5% you try to let them see the picture.
Interesting comments Faith! I like the way that you classify the items on your to-do list into two main categories: Students-prepwork-grading and Administrative. In doing so, you can prioritize one category over another, as you did, and then focus on completing a smaller set of items.
With all of the bells and whistles attached to computer systems today, it is extremely easy to compile a to do list and have the computer remind you what task is next. On a weekly basis, I revisit the list and perform my updates. It is a great feeling to have structure and organization. This also allows me to ensure that the critical tasks are high in priority.
I have been pretty good about making 'to-do' lists (listed by priority) and working at completing the tasks by day's end. The problem is that I'm not as consistent with it as I should be. Then there's the all too familiar 'monkey wrench' that disrupts my plans. But I have found that when I utilize my to-do list, it helps me get through the week easier.
Interesting points David! No matter how well we plan things out, there are always new tasks that come in – some of which are highest priority and need to be taken care of right away. When I'm budgeting my time, I always buffer in 5%-10% extra for all those monkey wrenches.
I have been using a "to-do" list for a long time. However, I do not prioritize the items. I started this morning to prioritize what I need to do today. I use Outlook to help list my tasks and set up reminders with deadlines. I also keep a paper copy on a clipboard for any special notes I need to add like "email the techs about non-working software". At home I make lists to do tasks but I do not seem to accomplish anything. I am going to try to break the larger tasks into smaller ones. Any suggests?
Mary, It sounds like you might benefit from combining your several small lists into a centralized master list. Then you could have a better snapshot of what needs to be accomplished. It's actually easier to accomplish priority tasks when we can see them listed all together, in one centralized area.
I have the tendency to also over project what I plan to do for the day. I have followed the instructor's suggestion in compiling many of my lists into one list. I numbered the items by priority. However, I still over project what I plan to accomplish. Subconsciously, if I did not accomplish the majority of what is on my list, I was not achieving goals. Any ideas or suggestions?
Thanks for sharing Mary! Many instructors have problems with over projecting what they can accomplish. It would be easier to accomplish more if we weren't faced with things like continued interruptions from students and administrators as well as frequent task switching. It's interesting because we usually don't write these types of things down on our To Do lists. Nonetheless, we spend a good percent of time on them.
I recommend listing things like interruptions from students / administrators and task switching on your To Do list. In your daily plans, include these tasks each day. This method will help you set more realistic expectations for what you can accomplish.
I deal with important and urgent tasks quickly, and am good with lists. I do, however, get frustrated when another task "bumps" one on my list. The module content on control put that in better prespective with my task prioritization. The obstacle linkages affect task prioritization and to see that was very beneficial.
Dr. Read,
Listing potential interruptions in "to do" lists is a great idea! I believe that idea will help me do a much better job of making "to do" lists that are more funtional.
Another thing that comes to mind to add to "to do" lists are "breaks" or "down time."
Great point Janet! Breaks and downtime should definitely be on the list. I like to list items like ‘schedule vacation.’ I consider it to be a high priority task =)
