Time Management - The Perspective of an Efficiency Freak

#SAVMP Week 10 ~ Time Management

With the ever intensifying demands of the jobs of educators, I believe the need for strong time management skills is more important than ever. I happen to be a weird sort of individual that is intrigued and challenged by increasing efficiency and finding better ways to do things to improve my productivity. I actually consider it a hobby of mine. Yes, I know that sounds bizarre, but I am extremely organized so this hobby fills my need for speed. 

So, George asked us to share advice and tips on time management for school leaders in our #SAVMP post for this week. I respond gladly.  {BIG GRIN}.

Here is how I do it, and I am constantly looking for aggressive ways to intensify my productivity:

1. Email

     Email seems to be one of the most challenging tasks for most people I know. I have glanced over some of my peer's shoulders to see upwards of 2,000 or more emails hanging out in the inbox of folks. OH MY STARS! That would give me nausea. 

     I approach email with a customer service mind. I try to respond to all emails within a 24 hour window. A response, for me, involves action of some sort. I either reply, delegate, file or convert to an action item every single email in my inbox. Action items are the emails that require the most time because I have to develop a document or rely on information from someone else to ultimately file that email. BUT, I star them or keep them hanging out in my inbox until they are completed so that I never lose sight of completing that task. This is how I manage to always meet deadlines and never allow things to fall through the cracks.

     AND, as a rule of thumb, I only touch an email twice. I might view it on my phone or just scan it during a busy day, but the next time I read that email I take an action step. That way I am not plagued by ever-mounting numbers of emails. I set boundaries for myself, such as I never allow my inbox to get past one page {I have my settings at 25 messages per page}. That way I am not ever overwhelmed by my inbox. 

     Filing emails is also a brilliant way of keeping them organized. This requires creating the folders in your inbox to manage them, but I can almost 99% of the time retrieve a conversation or a message that has aided me in numerous scenarios over the course of my career. 

2. Document management and naming conventions

     Again, this is easily done by the development of folders in your document storage location. I see clerical staff or other folks around me who store all of their documents en masse in the My Documents folder. They then struggle to retrieve documents because they must sort through hundreds, yes even thousands of documents. I have tons of folders where documents are sorted accordingly, and I can retrieve a document in seconds. Additionally, I ALWAYS use appropriate naming conventions so I never have to guess which version of a document is the newest. Naming conventions can be as simple as the current date like I might name this BLOG as a Word Document: Time Management_10_22_2013. 

3. Synchronized accounts    

     Synchronizing accounts is critical when leveraging social media for the benefit of education communication. I have my YouTube Channel synced with my Twitter which is synced with my FaceBook which is synced with my BLOG which is then synced with our district's My School App. One post can be simultaneously posted in multiple locations. This is a huge time-saver.

4. Scheduling with Google Calendar and Google Invites

     I believe Google Calendar has become my Holy Grail for staying organized. With the ability to send Google Invites, you can avoid tedious emails to individuals, and it keeps active rosters of who is attending events.

     Further, I schedule reminders that are sent to me via SmartPhone push notifications and email notifications. As long as I have my phone on me, I will get a reminder that says, "Morning Announcements in 10 Minutes." So, if I am engaged in a very important conversation in the breeze way at school, I can finish up our final comments and make my way to my next appointment. I adore this tool!

     AND, I schedule things that might get overlooked in my busy schedule. My GC will have blocks of time committed to Classroom Walk-thru's. If those items are not scheduled, I will get so busy that they fall by the wayside. I can not afford for that to happen.

     Google Calendar has so many other awesome features. You can click on a time that is mentioned in an email by someone and it will automatically post that as an appointment in your GC. Also, if you put the specifics of a location in the appointment, you can click on the link on your SmartPhone and it will take you to the navigation app. on your phone and take you directly to an appointment that is at an unfamiliar location. And who can forget the ability to SHARE calendars with your co-workers? That tool saves me and my leadership team time because we can all see each other's calendar and we never have to have that communication about when or where someone is. We know with the GC. I REPEAT. I love this tool!

5. Give and Take

     Lastly, I must say that I honor and respect that not all folks are efficiency junkies like me. Because of that, I recognize that many people can not take in the amount of information or even produce as much as I can in short amounts of time. I am very sensitive to this in my faculty. Just recently, at a faculty meeting, I gave the faculty exit cards and asked them for their feedback about what I could "take off their plates." Their plates are very full, and I want to assist them in being productive also. The feedback we got was amazing, and I was able to provide several avenues for workload reduction. That was a very cool thing.

Time management is critical for strong leadership--without it, a leader can drown in the morass of multi-tasking. I am always jonesin' for the next app or tip that is going to lead me to increased productivity. If you have some tips, send them my way. 

Connected Educators Month

This past month I have been learning about Online Curation. I opened a Scoop It! Curation Account. I have also been involved in a collaborative curation project with several other connected leaders: John - A Superintendent from Ohio, Mark -- A  Chief Information Officer, and Lynn -- An Elementary Technology Integrator/Coach.

Each of us was tasked with attending several different events during the Connected Educators Month of festivities and to synthesize the greater community's discussion of our theme over the course of all four weeks. Our writing is supposed to give participants who were not able to attend an event an understanding of what took place. We were invited to be curators rather than commentators--reporters vs. editorial writers.

This was our first week, and my first curation EVER! It was delightful. Check out the first submission:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  

Connected Educators Month is full of ways to get “connected.” One special group of learners is the CONNECTED LEADERS group who most certainly are interested in the Connected Leaders theme and anything and everything about leadership in the connected communities out there.

KICK-OFF EVENT: OCTOBER 1, 2013

The opening panel, Connected Leadership, was hosted by:

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach – author of Connected Educator

Valerie Greenhill – Chief Learning Officer for EdLeader 21

Chris Lehmann – Founding Principal for the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia

Candice Dodson – Director of E-Learning with the Indiana DOE

Scott McLeod – Director of Innovation for Prairie Lakes Schools

Discussion centered around, “What does it mean to be a connected leader?,” How does connected leadership impact student learning?,”  and “As we become more connected, what challenges do we face in the future?” The panel got off to a great start and immediately tackled the topic of preparing our students for the future. This certainly is an underlying theme of why leaders should be connected.

The way we learn and live is moving beyond isolation. Our local Communities of Practice are becoming GLOBAL Communities of Practice. Reducing isolation is key, and this will change everything we do. For instance, educators will feel affirmed in their learning to take risks because they no longer feel isolated….instead they feel connected.

Topics ranged from issues such as openness, district systems that facilitate openness, transparency, accelerated learning, and the ever critical collaboration. Again and again, the panel members returned to the concept that there is power in learning that is socialized.

Other events throughout the week included:

CELEBRATE PRINCIPALS: OCTOBER 1, 2013

Also, on the 1^st, there began a celebration of connected Leadership. NAESP began their celebration of National Principals Month with their Hats Off to Principals Contest!

§  Step 1: Draw a picture, snap a photo, produce a video, write a song or poem, or create any other work of art that celebrates your principal. Make it cool, make it personal, but most of all, make it fun!

§  Step 2: Upload your tribute to NAESP’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/naesp

§  Step 3: Win great prizes! We’ll recognize a weekly winner. Prizes include: $50 Amazon® Gift Cards, Crayola® Dry Erase Prize Packs, and more!

TECH TIDBITS & FREE SOCIAL MEDIA APPS FOR THE HURRIED ADMINISTRATOR: 

OCTOBER 2, 2013

During this multi-vendor session, administrators were able to review several great educational apps. These apps ranged from organization and time savers for leaders to academic apps for teachers. Dr. Rob Furman, principal of South Park Elementary School new Pittsburgh, PA, shared 25 to 30 apps in all including several social apps. At the conclusion of the event, a small discussion on social media in education was also presented.

SUBMITTING A MANUSCRIPT FOR PUBLICATION: OCTOBER 3, 2013

During this webinar, Kappan Editor-in-Chief Joan Richardson walked leaders through the process of submitting a manuscript for publication. Her advice focused on Kappan but much of what she shared also applies to other professional education publications. She introduced participants to writers’ guidelines, editorial calendars, thematic issues, timelines for decisions and more, all in an effort to help educators navigate the submission process. This was a valuable session for connected leaders who are interested in print publishing as well as following the same sort of guidelines for BLOGing or publishing online.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CONNECTED EDUCATOR CHALLENGE: OCTOBER 3, 2013

Administrator’s days are extremely busy. One theme that comes up across all the topics for Connected Educators Month is the necessity of finding the time to be connected. During this contest kick-off, the event asks the question, “What does a day in the life a Connected Educator look like?” We invite you to show us! There are many possibilities for creating a Day in the Life of a Connected Educator project. It could be as simple as a blog post, a graphic organizer or something along the lines of a podcast or video. We have not created guidelines because we want to allow for creative choice. The only requirement is that your project needs to be accessible online. Share the link to your "project" anytime during October by Tweeting it to @INeLearn with the hashtag #CE13. We will feature Indiana Connected Educators all month long at http://www.doe.in.gov/elearning The purpose for sharing:

1.    Inspire unconnected educators and educational leaders to get connected.

2.    Expand your connections and collaborations.

3.    Motivate other connected educators to create their own project to share as part of the National Connected Educator Month.

LEVERAGING TRIBE AS A MEANS OF SELF-ACTUALIZATION: OCTOBER 5, 2013

This webinar hosted by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach was designed to prepare the next generation to rise to the demands of constant change. Sheryl defined how to meet these expectations enclosed in the silos of our classrooms and offices? Her solution is that we need each other. During this session, Sheryl collaboratively explored the art of collective intelligence building and selfless tribe leadership as a means to transpersonal and professional growth.

#SATCHAT: OCTOBER 5, 2013

#Satchat is an online Twitter discussion for current and emerging school leaders that takes place every Saturday morning at 7:30 AM EST/PST. This Saturday’s #SATCHAT will most definitely be focused on Connected Educators Month; however, tune in every week to learn from the other leaders who are up with a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning to discuss the issues of the day.

REACHING PEAK LEARNING VIA CREATIVE TASKS AND REFLECTIVE WRITING:
OCTOBER 6, 2013

This Moodle MOOC 2 Webinar hosted by Dr. Ludmila Smirnova shared her experience of teaching undergrad and grad courses in a teacher-training program and how she made a change in teacher candidates's attitudes and skills from resisting technology and critical thinking to embracing technology and striving for excellence. Any administrator that works with teachers could benefit from using such strategies to move learners from technology resistance mindsets to technology participation, connection, and collaboration.

Week one was busy with options for connected leaders to continue with connected learning. Connections are transforming learning, and we are no longer dependent on local spaces. Join us each week this month as we continue to add to our personal learning networks and our communities of practice.

#SAVMP Week 9 ~ No Need for a Nudge, I Am All In!

First of all, it has been an honor connecting with #SAVMP. I truly feel like I have a personal mentor even though this is really a collective group and not just me responding to all of the group's assignments. 

1. I have followed the lead of our Instructional Leader, George Couros, by responding to all of his BLOG prompts even though sometimes there is a lag time in my posts due to the overwhelming nature of being a new principal (Rookie Year 2).

2. I have learned from various posts whether it be the BLOG, the Twitter Feeds, Google Hangouts, or YouTube. I feel like one of the "cool kids", and it is awesome to learn from so many examples and thought provoking questions.

3. My faculty and students are benefiting from the learning that has been generated. For example, I have focused my Monday Memo (called the Cheetah Chat) on not only quotes but also topics from the various BLOGs and responses to those entries. 

I have also learned from my mentor, Paul McGuire. Paul is a mentor in Canada who runs a small school and has lots of cool technology he dabbles in and has inspired me. He has also provided me with some wise feedback as he has been at this a lot longer than I have.

1. I have set the personal goal of learning a video memorandum software to use with faculty such as Touchcast or other after watching him.

2. I have learned from his posts and from his various BLOGS and Twitter Feeds and his Daily E-Zine. 

I have learned from the process. This process has inspired me to increased my connectivity and to pursue further risk-taking behaviors to increase my capacity as an educational leader.

1. The BLOGGING assignments have provided a clarity of focus in my BLOG, and it has increased my awareness of how many people are actually influenced by such an instrument. Additionally, I have now committed myself to weekly entries, and I hope to carry on the HABIT once I am done with #SAVMP.

2. I have challenged other educational leaders in my arena to increase connectivity, and they have accepted the challenge. My local face-to-face mentor has recently adopted the Twitter habit, and others are coming online to establish their own PLN's.

3. I have increased my own presence on Twitter in both the area of LEARNING and in LEADING. Just this month, I have added two more tools to my technology toolbox. I have used Remind 101 to create a faculty account to send out reminder text messages and positive notes to the faculty. I have also created a Scoop It! account and have begun curating for the Connected Educator month's events.

#SAVMP has made a difference for me as a learner and a leader!

Week 8 -- Meaningful Professional Development #SAVMP

This week's assignment asks the question...What are some of the ways to create meaningful staff professional development?

To begin with, I believe that meaningful professional development leads to better learning in the classroom. The professional development on our campus has gone through a metamorphosis-- by design, and the change is remarkable.

When I first arrived on campus as the new instructional leader for our school, there were immediate pressing needs. One was the need for infrastructure and systems to fill the void. Unfortunately, that meant that our monthly faculty meetings were committed to rolling out these initiatives and to training faculty and staff on the necessary requirements needed to comply with district initiatives. The second critical need was for our faculty to get to know their new leader and to "roll out" my style and credibility for them. So...over the course of a year I set out to meet those two goals.

Well...leap forward in time to a full year later. My style is one of teacher leadership and distributed leadership among the staff. Our very first faculty meeting of the year, I was committed to making that shift to the teacher-led faculty meeting where WE ALL own the growth made by the school experts--the teachers! A year's worth of work had resulted in a great professional development experience vs. the old style "meeting."

Our first faculty meeting was a success! If I was to use the measure--would I enjoy sitting in one of my faculty meetings? The answer, after this first meeting, was a resounding yes! I began the meeting with a new tradition I had started. The idea had been shared with me by my wise friend. At pre-service training, I brought in a large stuffed Cheetah that I had bought at Toys R Us--the Cheetah is Cherry Street's mascot. At each meeting thereafter, whoever received the Cheetah would have to "pass the torch" to the next Cheetah Champion AND they would have to personalize the Cheetah in some way. I gave the "torch" to one of our teacher leaders who is known for going above and beyond especially with her ability to network with families. I also personalized the Cheetah by adding a BluRay box to his collar. I am a huge science fiction geek, and I added the box for the movie Oblivion.

At this first faculty meeting, it was the teacher leader's opportunity to "pass the torch" and recognize a Champion on our campus. She put on her glasses to read an index card that she had written with notes because she said, "I wanted to make sure I got this right." She then set out to describe a teacher who knows the name of every student in the school, a teacher who takes weekend time to have his family help him clean up the campus, and a teacher who makes a difference with our students. As she shared this information and ultimately the teacher's name, I got chill bumps and a few tears welled up in my eyes. There are so many champions at our school, and now the teachers are stepping up to recognize the champion in each other. The room broke into applause, and as our COACH received the Cheetah that was now covered in chocolate wrappers (the teacher leader's new personal touch), I could swear I saw a tear in his eyes too. That was waaaayyy cool!

Relying on that same teacher leadership model, we moved on to the next part of the meeting which was for one of our campus experts in Kagan to model for the group and then have the group work through some activities as well. Our teacher leader worked with the group to have us create a Kagan team cheer and to spend time in a Kagan team-building activity which allowed us to get to know each other a little better. Some of our cheers were very goofy, but the whole experience was wonderful. In just a few short minutes, we had invested a little time in getting to know each member of our group and hear their story. And, we got to do a little risk-taking by moving outside of our comfort zones and creating something silly and goofy that unified our groups. The room was filled with laughter. Ultimately, the goal is for the groups to take these demonstrated activities and begin to implement them successfully in their classrooms.

Next, we watched ANOTHER teacher leader demonstrate the behavior management program called Classroom Dojo. This program is so accessible that parents can log on during the school day in real time to see how their students are behaving during the school day. Additionally, teachers can use the App for the program to carry hand-held devices with them such as their SmartPhone or their iPad or tablet, and they can track behavior data from any location on campus. One of our kindergarten teachers provided a testimonial about how successful the program had been in her kindergarten classroom. Her feedback was definitely a strong selling point for many folks.

We covered several more items, and the new precedent has been set for our faculty meetings.

And here is where the impact on instruction can be felt from all this DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP. 

1. Climate and morale are encouraged and positively promoted when the teachers praise each other.
2. Positive climate is increased ACROSS CAMPUS when the faculty and the students participate in team-building and class-building activities. Discipline referrals typically decrease when Kagan structures are implemented at a school.
3. The effective best practices of one teacher are shared with other faculty members, and WE ALL GET STRONGER.

In my weekly Classroom Walk-Thrus, I have seen the Kagan Structures being used, and I have seen the Class Dojo spread like wild-fire. This type of faculty meeting is less about meeting and more about professional development to impact instruction. AND....I am so glad we are in Year Two. I just can't wait to get to Year Three--the sky is the limit!