Time management, organization, planning ahead, self-advocating, effective communication…..these are the things that I get to help with in my role as a Learning Specialist in the Upper School Teaching and Learning Center (TLC).
Miles Davis said, “Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing.” Or, to give this thought more of a pre-game vibe, Jim Rohn said, “Either run the day, or the day runs you.” This is true for everyone... not just the students we get a chance to work with in the TLC.
Now more than ever we are a group of people that feel the weight of our life schedules. The word “busy” rules the roost and is used often in our vocabulary. When comparing those who find success to those who struggle day in and day out, it more than often comes down to how we plan and organize our days.
It comes as no surprise that people like Tim Ferris with his book “The Four Hour Work Week” or Jocko Willink with his “Jocko’s Podcast” are making a living telling people how to maximize their day by organizing their time more efficiently. Well, I have not written a book nor do I have a weekly podcast, but I do get the chance to sit with my students two or three times a week and watch them become more efficient at learning the skills they will need to be able to be organized and productive students.
When I meet with my students, there are a few things that I want to make sure we cover. I want them to complete (or at least attempt) the homework that was given that day in class. This keeps them a day ahead and allows them to go see their teachers the next day during office hours if they happen to have any questions about their work. I also want to make sure my students know what tests are coming up and when they should start preparing for them. In the past I would sit down with my students and create a plan with them. This was effective to a point because at the end of the day my students would leave with a plan in place. However, what I realized was that I was not taking full advantage of this opportunity because their plan was not created completely by them. Now, I have them create their own plan before I meet with them. This change has allowed my students to have much more of an opportunity to practice and implement these skills on their own. Now when we meet we simply tweak their plan if we need to and have a conversation about what might need to be added. I have found that these little changes have created opportunities for all of my students to practice good time management, stay organized, plan ahead, effectively communicate, and becoming self-advocates; hopefully giving them the skills they will need to be as successful and productive as possible.
