Tips for time management
Strategies for Organization
How to use the agenda for success
TIME MANAGEMENT TIPS
It is always easier to work successfully
if you are practicing good habits, but habits take time to form. Start now
creating habits for yourself if you haven't already.
1.) Analyze your schedule. Figure out where all your time goes. Are you spending too much time on the phone or IM? Do you give yourself time to rest? Is your week packed with sports, religion or clubs? If you see points of time that are wasted, eliminate them. If you sit in the car waiting for your sister to come out of her piano lesson, use it to your advantage-- read a book or start a homework assignment.
2.) Create a work schedule.
Write down a schedule for yourself that you can stick to. Post it on the wall
where you will do your work. USE IT! You may have to create a different
schedule for different days of the week or sports schedules, but it really helps
a ton!
Example: 3:45-4:15 -- come home, snack, relax
4:15-4:45 -- set daily homework plan and begin assignments
4:45-5:00 -- quick break -- IM best friend
5:00-6:30 -- family chores and dinner
6:30-8:00 -- finish homework
8:00-8:30 -- read
8:30-bed -- free time
3.) Stay on top of longer term assignments like OSR and projects so you aren't cramming at the end. Do some every night. See some agenda use ideas to help you plan out your time with these.
4.) Ask teachers for help! It is hard to get it all together after an absence, so ask for help, clarify instructions and due dates. Don't waste time staring at empty pages, write something down. It will give your teacher a starting point to help you with. Remember, it's easier to fix something that was done wrong than it is to take a zero for work not done at all.
5.) Have a well-supplied
workstation! If you get up to get a pencil, how often do you drift
over to the fridge or the tv? Avoid distractions and time wasters by
having what you need to work in a shoebox or plastic tote near your workstation.
Make sure you can see a clock or put one in your box.
Put In: paper
pens, pencils, coloring stuff
stapler and extra staples
white-out
scissors, hole puncher, tape, hole reinforcers
scrap paper
other stuff for school??
(a mini dictionary?)
STRATEGIES FOR ORGANIZATION
Organizing yourself and your materials is also something that should
become a habit. It's very hard to make a good impression on someone (like
a new teacher or your own students) if you are running around like a chicken
with your head cut off. So the trick is to create systems for your stuff
that make sense to you. As teachers, we've seen what works for many
students and what doesn't work well at all. We've tried to create a system most
kids can follow. If you don't like our system, feel free to create your own. The
thing you need to remember is that what ever you want to do, you need to stick
with it!
1.)The Three Binder System:
This is particularly good for students who carry lots of papers around all the
time.
* Morning Binder -- for your classes before lunch. It should have a
filled pencil case, paper, dividers and sections for each class as well as a
folder for handouts from those classes that occur before lunch. Put sections in
the order of your classes during the day.
*Afternoon Binder -- for your classes after lunch. It should have a
filled pencil case, paper, dividers and sections for each class as well as
a folder for handouts from those classes that occur after lunch. Put
sections in the order of your classes during the day.
*Homework Binder -- It should have a filled pencil case, paper, a
filled-in agenda, and a folder that is labeled on the left pocket "Undone Work"
and the right pocket labeled "Done Work" for assignments teachers give to be
stored in until collected or checked.
2.) The Two Binder System:
This is good for students who are good at weeding out papers and keeping things
organized by themselves.
*All Day Binder -- for all classes. It should contain a filled pencil case,
paper, dividers for each class and a folder for each class. Put sections
in the order of your classes during the day.
*Homework Binder -- It should have a filled pencil case, paper, a
filled-in agenda, and a folder that is labeled on the left pocket "Undone Work"
and the right pocket labeled "Done Work" for assignments teachers give to be
stored in until collected or checked.
3.) The Accordion File System: Some students prefer to use an accordion folder as their homework folder instead of a binder. This has students putting the agenda in one pocket, clean paper in another, pencils and supplies in a third, and the remaining pockets are for each classes' assignments. Put sections in the order of your classes during the day. It is highly recommended that students still use one or two binders for notebooks.
HOW TO USE THE AGENDA FOR SUCCESS
1.) Always use pencil! This makes it easy to fix errors or change due dates.
2.) Write in every assignment! Even if it obvious to you that you have math work (since you have it every night) or English work, you should still take the time to write the specific work you need to do in your agenda box for that night. Then, you won't forget to budget it in as you plan your work time!
3.) Check your agenda as you pack your book bag to go home from school so you don't forget necessary books or folders.
4.) Check your agenda as you pack your bag at night so you don't forget to put your assignments in the done side of your homework folder. Don't forget to check the computer printer to make sure you didn't leave any papers there, either.
5.) Check off your assignments as you complete them. Not only will this help you stay on top what's left to be done, it will give you a real sense of satisfaction!
6.) Avoid long-term assignment
crunches! When you get a project or an OSR assignment, write in the
due date. Then, work your way backwards putting in the work you need to do each
night to get it in on time. See the HYPOTHETICAL example below.
Example: Report Due 12/30 --- write it in your agenda on the due date
12/29 -- Do the final copy
12/28 -- Edit for COPS
12/27 -- Revise to make sure ideas are strong and on-topic
12/26 -- 12/23 write a strong draft (write it in each night)
12/25 -- Organize ideas into outline/paragraph house
12/24 -- Pick topic and brainstorm for it
12/5-12/22 -- read book (write it in every night)!!!
7.) Don't leave anything blank! Even if your teacher is much nicer than me and doesn't assign work for you on a night, write what you did that day in class in the box . This will give your memory a jog and help you retain the information. It also shows you what you may want to review quickly if you are stuck in traffic, bored, or truly a diligent kid!
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