In follow up to a previous post about getting organized, I decided to put some money where my mouth is. I went to the store after work Friday and bought some essential organizational tools- file folders, sharpies, labels. I salvaged some paper ream boxes from work, then, feeling like a bit of a hermit this weekend, I spent most of my spare time working my way through piles of papers and stuffed cabinets. I got all my files cleaned, sorted, labeled and filed. I made space for storage, organized my books by subject, and created a nice, large work space for my homework, complete with easy access to any tool I might need, computer and a large white board. Plus, I found an overpayment refund check from back in June- bonus! Ahhhh! It feels so nice to sit in that space and bask in the glorious cleanliness and order. I almost convinced myself to take a personal day today just so I can enjoy my new office.
In the book I am reading, the author suggested a website called www.123sortit.com for tips on getting organized. I did use some of these tips. I have a tendency to try and achieve advanced organizational skills when in reality, I am not as experienced of an organizer as I would like to be. I wouldn’t say that I am an amateur, but more of a mid-level. If organizing was high school, I would be a sophomore, in May, getting close to junior year. I left out all the bells and whistles this time, like buying special containers, color coding devices, fancy portfolios and binders and other random things that caught my eye at the supply store. When I buy these things, I find that they are waste of money for me. Simplicity is key.
I have decided that the most valuable organizational skill is creating a good filing system. Paper seems to be the x-factor for all my organizational mishaps. There is just too much paper to deal with all the time. Some papers are important others are a waste of a poor tree's life. Somehow, I tend to get confused/ overwhelmed by paper and save useless things, while losing track of very important things. A simple but effective filing systems changes all this and makes the paper manageable.
When it comes to organization, there are two main things I want to remember for my future teaching years: 1) Keep organized files and 2) Group things in meaningful ways. If I can manage to do this, I think I will be fine (dealing with all the paper anyway- everything else, who knows!)
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Organization. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Time to Get Seriously Organized
I know I am getting a bit ahead of myself, but I had a 40% off coupon, so I purchased the book: First Year Teacher's Survival Guide by Julia Thompson. Many a time I have been at the book store and flipped through the pages and thought it is a very thorough and well organized manual with lots of good resources and tips. I have been reading a little bit here and there as a break from the more intense information from my textbooks (sometimes textbook reading can be so strenuous!) I can not believe how detailed this book is! Even more, I can not believe all the little tasks are involved with teaching, it’s no wonder that all you experienced teachers live by lists!
I have always been a list maker- grocery lists, lists to remember what I need to take care of at work, lists when I am packing for a trip or preparing for an big event. But those are just occasional things. I also try to keep a date book with my schedule mapped out but somehow I just never manage to keep up with it on a regular basis. Reading this book, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that I need to fine tune my organizational skills before I start teaching. It seems that, in this field, it is not sufficient to be just good at organization and time management, you have to be diligent and become an expert at it or you risk being completely overwhelmed.
I decided that I am going to start making a list for almost everything. I found an old steno pad in my desk which has perfect columns for list making. I also received in the mail a school day planner from Nestle (a promo thing that came with coupons for Nestle products.) This thing is great because it has the entire month on a one page view, in a vertical list with each individual day listed and several columns for filling in daily tasks. I am going to use this to help me with time management. I have three courses right now, all of which are Independent study courses, so I will create a detailed schedule, much like creating units and lessons, which I will follow diligently for staying on track with class work and deadlines. I think this will be a good way to hone my mental organizational skills.
Space organization is another thing. I am usually quite good at planning this, less good at keeping up with it. I would be that teacher who puts off opening mail and sorting through it, or filing papers in a timely fashion. I would keep up with the essential things, like grading papers, keeping notes on important correspondence, school records and other required paperwork, but I would put off non-essential tasks, the stuff that doesn’t have a deadline. At home, I always have all my bills paid on time, but I have bags full of other random mail and papers which need to be filed that I don’t need to deal with right away, so I put it off until it becomes to large a job- then I am even less likely to deal with it! This procrastination has to stop now, before I take it with me to the classroom.
All in all, I think it’s a good idea that I purchased this book now, because it’s been a real eye opener and I have some work to do on myself if I want to have a successful career!
I have always been a list maker- grocery lists, lists to remember what I need to take care of at work, lists when I am packing for a trip or preparing for an big event. But those are just occasional things. I also try to keep a date book with my schedule mapped out but somehow I just never manage to keep up with it on a regular basis. Reading this book, I have become increasingly aware of the fact that I need to fine tune my organizational skills before I start teaching. It seems that, in this field, it is not sufficient to be just good at organization and time management, you have to be diligent and become an expert at it or you risk being completely overwhelmed.
I decided that I am going to start making a list for almost everything. I found an old steno pad in my desk which has perfect columns for list making. I also received in the mail a school day planner from Nestle (a promo thing that came with coupons for Nestle products.) This thing is great because it has the entire month on a one page view, in a vertical list with each individual day listed and several columns for filling in daily tasks. I am going to use this to help me with time management. I have three courses right now, all of which are Independent study courses, so I will create a detailed schedule, much like creating units and lessons, which I will follow diligently for staying on track with class work and deadlines. I think this will be a good way to hone my mental organizational skills.
Space organization is another thing. I am usually quite good at planning this, less good at keeping up with it. I would be that teacher who puts off opening mail and sorting through it, or filing papers in a timely fashion. I would keep up with the essential things, like grading papers, keeping notes on important correspondence, school records and other required paperwork, but I would put off non-essential tasks, the stuff that doesn’t have a deadline. At home, I always have all my bills paid on time, but I have bags full of other random mail and papers which need to be filed that I don’t need to deal with right away, so I put it off until it becomes to large a job- then I am even less likely to deal with it! This procrastination has to stop now, before I take it with me to the classroom.
All in all, I think it’s a good idea that I purchased this book now, because it’s been a real eye opener and I have some work to do on myself if I want to have a successful career!
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