Time management

As part of my Teacher Open Online Training, I read a number of links about time management.  The first thing I did was take a quiz on time management.  While I didn't feel that I was doing well on the quiz, I scored in the Using Time Effectively category.  I scored a 47 (at the bottom of the using time effectively, but still there).  I think I primarily scored there because of prioritizing and in spite of procrastinating.  I then browsed a number of tools for time management.

Time management tools

I did not find any of these tools to be helpful.  I don't wast time browsing social internet sites.  I don't like autocorrect, as it messes me up more than it helps.  I sure don't want an extended autocorrect.  Some of the tools could be useful, but I am more of an old school pen and paper kind of man.

So, here are five time management tools that I do find helpful.

One - make a list.  I do this with pen and paper.  Sometime I make a list of things to get done for the day, sometimes for the week, sometimes for a course or activity.  I like to actually write them down and put them in my pocket.  I enjoy the feeling of physically crossing things off my list.

Two - phone calendar.  I'm old school.  I don't have a smart phone.  There are two reasons that I don't.  One, I think it can sometimes be more of a distraction than a help.  The more important reason though is that I am cheap.  I do not want to pay extra fees to Verizon.  It is expensive enough as it is.  That said, I do have a cellphone.  It's an old style flip phone - the Boulder.

While it is an old flip phone, it actually does have most of the capabilities that people associate with smartphones without the distractions that come with touchscreens and touchscreen games.  One feature that I use all the time is my phone calendar.  I program in some regular events and add irregular events.  It notifies me on time and unlike a smart phone, my battery almost never goes dead.  Even after having had the phone for 6 years, I still only have to charge it once a week tops.

Three - While I may seem like a luddite, I am not.  I am not against technology if it can actually help me in life.  One tool that I have found helpful for teaching is Google Calendar.  I don't like it in my daily life.  I might like it if I had a smartphone that gave me notifications directly from Google Calendar, but I think this would be a distraction.  However, I upload my classroom lesson plans to Google Calendar.  I get notifications when I get on my computer at school, which is when and where I want them.

Four - Delicious.  While the social bookmarking site may not seem like a time management tool, it is.  It helps me keep important links organized.  This makes it easier for me to find important resources for my job.  Therefore, I wast less time.

Five - Bookmarks.  Yes, I know.  They are not new or glamorous.  However, for my work I have a desktop computer.  While social bookmarking is nice when traveling, most of the time I'm not traveling.  It's even quicker to find important resources using my desktop bookmarks than it is to take the time to login to Delicious.

The key thing to time management is setting priorities.  Tools however can be helpful.  Each person has to find what works for him.  These work for me.