Lesson 2- Time Management and Organization

As was addressed in Lesson 1, balancing the time you spend on Rock, Pebble, and Water priorities is key to making good grades. The most important tool that you can use in managing your time is a planner/written agenda or an electronic calendar like the Google Calendar program. If you have ever forgotten one assignment or one test then you need an academic planner.



Tips for Using a Written Planner (excerpt):

By: Grace Fleming
The assignment is due when? Tomorrow?"
We've all been there at some point. Somehow, that assignment due date just slipped right up on us without our noticing. That is why organizational skills are so important to school performance. Who can afford to score a big fat "0" on a paper, just because we got lazy and didn't pay attention to the due date? Who wants to get an "F" because we forgot to put our completed project in our book bag the night before it was due?

Poor organization skills can reduce your final scores by a whole letter grade. That's why you should learn to use a day planner the right way.

Tips for Using a Planner

Pick the right planner. Avoid planners with locks or zippers that will only annoy you. Little things like that will become a hassle and create bad habits.

Make the planner a part of your daily routine. Carry it with you at all times and remember to check it every morning and every night.

Fill in your assignment due dates as soon as you learn them. Get in the habit of writing in your planner while you're still in the classroom. Write the assignment on the page of the due date and put a reminder message a few days before the due date. Don't put it off!

Learn to use backward planning. When you write a due date in your planner, go back a day or a week and give yourself a reminder that the due date is approaching.

Use a color- coding system. Keep some colored stickers on hand and use those for reminders that a due date or other important event is approaching. For instance, use a yellow caution sticker to serve as a warning two days before your research paper is due.

Put everything in your planner. You must remember that anything that takes up time, like a ball game, will keep you from working on an assignment. If you don't put these things in your planner as time out, you may not realize how limited your homework time really is. This leads to cramming and all-nighters.

Use flags. You can buy sticky-note flags and use them as tabs to indicate the end of a term or the due date of a large project. This is a great visual tool that serves as a constant reminder of a imminent due date.

Don't discard old pages. You will always have important information in your planner that you'll need to see again at a later date. Old phone numbers, reading assignments—you'll want to remember those things later on.

Go ahead and congratulate yourself ahead of time. On the day after a big project is due, put in a reward appointment, like a trip to the mall or a meal out with friends. This can serve as positive reinforcement.

Things to Include in Your Planner

It is important to block off anything that consumes your time, in order to avoid conflict and crisis. Don't forget:

• • Regular blocks of homework time

  • Assignment due dates

  • Test dates

  • Dances, parties, celebrations

  • Family gatherings, vacations, excursions

  • School events

  • Fees for field trips—due dates

  • Holidays

*Use any down-time in class to look over your notes.

*Use any down-time available waiting for school to start in the morning in the cafeteria or waiting for pick up from after school activities for quick study time.

Organization Tips- Take Time to Plan on Sunday Nights

In SOAR Study Skills by Susan Kruger, it is recommended that students spend 15- 30 minutes every Sunday night, getting ready for the week. Use your planner and write down your goals, homework, project due dates, test dates, and extra-curricular activities (sports/clubs) for the week.

Each School Night

Before you go to bed each school night, take the time to check your planner one last time. Did you get your forms signed- like field trip forms? Is your completed homework in your book bag or on Moodle? Do you have your lunch money? Is there anything else you need to take care of? Make sure everything is in your book bag and place it by your bedroom door.

Your Papers and Binder (SOAR Study Skills by Susan Kruger

*Use one 1 inch or 1 1/2 inch- 3 ring binder with inside pockets to organize all your classes. This size binder should fit in your MacBook book bag.

*Have one plastic folder or divider pocket for each of your classes.

*Label the plastic folder/divider pockets by the subject.

*Place 25-30 sheets at the back of of your binder to take notes.

*Place homework assignments in the divider pockets.

*Use the inside pockets of the binder for field trip forms, etc.

*NEVER PUT LOOSE PIECES OF PAPER IN YOUR BOOK BAG. If you are in a hurry, place the papers in the front of your binder to organize later.

*Create a home filing box. Place your over flow papers from your binder into this box divided by subject manilla folders. DO NOT THROW AWAY ANY OF THESE PAPERS UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED YOUR FINAL GRADE. These papers may be used to study for final exams

*Find a place to study and do your homework with as few distractions as possible.

*Lighting and temperature of the room should be adequate to keep you focused.

*Keep a small bucket handy with study supplies like pencils, erasers, pens, highlighters, post it notes, etc.

*Turn off your cell phone and the t.v. Your brain can only do one task at a time. Research shows that texting and using social media while doing homework or studying interferes with learning and memory

*Stay on task if you are using your Chromebook for homework or studying. Do not surf the internet, engage in playing games, or use social media while doing your homework or studying with your Chromebook

Tips

*Give yourself a little break (no more than 45 minutes) after school to relax and eat a snack. The sooner you start your homework, the quicker you will finish.

*Do the homework you consider the hardest first.

*Use a timer to help you stay focused while working on homework. Set the timer for the amount of time that you think the homework should take, and then work to beat the clock. This doesn't mean to rush through your work- just stay focused.

*Use tutorials from your digital textbooks or from websites like Khan Academy to help you understand any concepts causing confusion.

*Use live homework help tutors available online with Homework Alabama.

*Always turn in your homework. Believe it or not, this is a step that some student

Lesson 2- Time Management and Organization Quiz

Circle the Correct Answer

1. The following are the best ways to keep up with school assignments:
a. use a written planner/agenda
b. memorize the due dates
c. use Google Calendar
d. both a and c

2. Homework should be done:
a. within about the first 45 minutes when you arrive home
b. about an hour before bedtime
c. whenever you feel like it
d. with the t.v. on

3. The best time to plan for the week is:
a. Wednesday after school
b. Sunday night
c. during class
d. none of the above

4. A distraction to completing homework is
a. texting a friend
b. using social media
c. playing video games
d. all of the above

5. Students can keep themselves on task by
a. using a timer and trying to beat the timer
b. eating snacks while they are doing homework
c. doing the easiest work first
d. none of the above

6. In organizing your binder, it is a good idea to
a. put papers in your book bag if you are in a hurry
b. place papers in pocket folders by subject
c. periodically clean out your binder and store papers in a filing box at home
d. both b and c

7. The brain is able to do two are more tasks at a time.
a. True
b. False

8. Which is not an important planner tip?
a. use a color coding system
b. fill in your assignment due dates as soon as you learn them
c. both a and b
d. write down only school related information

9. Google Calendar offers only a monthly calendar feature.
a. True
b. False

10. In the video, "How to Organize Your Agenda/Planner, "the student uses:
a. drawn pictures to remind him of assignments and events
b. colored post it notes
c. blue pen only to write down assignments
d. none of the above