Time Management and the Fear of Not Having Enough Time

Many new English Language Arts teachers worry about not having enough time to prepare, read, write, and mark. Yet, it comes as no surprise that many long-term ELA teachers are good time managers.  Furthermore, ELA teachers that publish, are exceptional time managers. Finding a good mentor for time management can be very rewarding.

It is difficult to find time when there appears to be so little. How do some people manage to expand  time to fit in family, friends, leisure, and work whereas others are simply swamped by work? Why do we use this cliche; "If you want something done, ask a busy person?"

Well, it is easy to continue worrying about not having enough time but easier yet to find a new way of approaching work, different from what you might have been doing. Try this: (1) Watch people that are efficient managers but always seem to get a lot done. Notice what they do to avoid procrastination. Make notes and read these notes when you start to procrastinate; (2) Make a list of everything to do and choose only 2 things that will give you immediate results. Do these 2 things right away to self-motivate; (3) Approach your best hours for work as "focus time"; and (4) Schedule family and friends time, too. You will never feel like you are depriving yourself of family time because you actually scheduled it into your daybook.

We live in a world where time management is an essential skill. Gadgets and technology that appear to save time can sometimes take away our time if not used properly. Re-imagine yourself as a flexible person and good time management will emerge from your quest for freedom from worrying about not having enough time. In a daytimer or handheld, keep track of how much more efficient you are becoming. Having more time through time management is a gift you give yourself. Don't wait until you have no time left.

See Randy Pausch's Lecture on Time Management if you have time. ;-)

Quotes to Inspire

"If one is master of one thing and understands one thing well, one has, at the same time, insight into and understanding of many things." (Vincent Van Gogh). This quote was recently chosen by Kieran Egan who is the Chair of the Imaginative Education Research Group at Simon Fraser University. I found this quote intriguing because we often think of imagination work as the combining of our many ideas to form newness or something that requires imagination. With Van Gogh's concept, we are in constant combining of ideas with the one thing we master. The idea engenders a notion that we could be in a state of constant imaginative work by doing one thing well. We must, as a warning, be thoughtful about the one thing we choose to pursue.
Perhaps you have a quote to share.

What is English Language Arts (ELA)?

At first this might seem to be a simple question to answer; however, when you begin to ask teachers of ELA what they think it is, you will be surprised at the variety of answers. Similar to the teaching of reading and writing itself, everyone has  their own stance. Some of these stances are:
1. The Editor/Technician: Were you already thinking about editing "is" and replacing it with "are"?
2. The Historian: Were you already considering how ELA came about; wondering where you would find such a history?
3. The Genreman/Genrewoman: Were you thinking about how many types of "arts" there are and wondering how many of each could be taught in a school year?
4. The Designer: Were you thinking about how you would start the year off in an engaging way, then build toward an exciting end?
5. The Book Clubber: Were you thinking about what is the most popular book for adolescents?
6: The Diagnostician: Were you wondering about the individuals in your class and at what competency level they each could read or write?
Have you asked yourself the question, What is English Language Arts? Next, consider how your own stance is unique but not necessarily ubiquitous.