Work smarter, not harder

6 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Feeling overwhelmed at work? Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your work and in charge of your life.

1. Plan 

Every night, make a to-do list of all your unfinished business and projects. Review the list, prioritize and decide how much time you need to get each activity done. Use a planner that shows you a full week at a time.  Start your workday right—at home the night before. After dinner, pack your lunch for the next day, while you’re already in the kitchen. Lay out the kids’ clothes and your own and pack your bag or briefcase. 

2. Prioritize

What 20 percent of your work is the most valuable—to you and to your employer? Once you’ve identified it, try to focus the lion’s share of your time and energy in that direction. Like priority standards, identify what is crucial vs. helpful.

3. Set Deadlines for Major Projects

Instead of procrastinating, divide large projects into manageable pieces and attack only one piece at a time. Instead of worrying about cleaning the whole house, clean just the bathroom. Expect quality rather than perfection. Block out some time when you can’t be disturbed except in an emergency and use that time to get the most important tasks of the day done. If someone stops by your desk and asks for a moment of your time, you can honestly and politely reply, “No, I’m in the middle of something right now, but I'll get back to you later.” 

4. Delegate

Ask for help on projects at work, recruit your children to help around the house at home, or hire someone to maintain your lawn.  Identify the things you can reasonably accomplish, and then get some help!

5. Organize Throughout the Day

Remember this rule: Tuck it, transfer it or trash it. Quickly glance over every piece of mail and every memo or e-mail message you get. If it looks as if it’s potentially important, file it right away in a folder marked “pending” or delegate it to someone else to take care of. If it’s not relevant or it’s something you’ll never look at again, trash it. Handle your mail the same way at home.

6. Be Social at Work

Chitchat can be very important because it builds relationships and helps you stay plugged in to the office grapevine. Share a joke, anecdote or personal story while standing at the photocopier or waiting for a meeting to start. Schedule a coffee break with an office buddy.

I don't think there's any time of year that gets easier for educators, and it often feels like it's difficult to keep your head above water.  These tips are not going to magically make your life easier, and it isn't meant to assume you aren't already doing some of these things, but I find that periodic reminders can be helpful to get my focus where it should be.

So in my effort to prioritize, I am going to try something new with the blog, and only update the post every other week.  The calendar will still be updated weekly, but this page will be twice a month.

Good luck with working smarter!
Sue

Data

Data Days: continuing to develop a learning organization

Recently, I read an article from Education Week about at data analysis in education (My Nine Truths about Data Analysis, Ronald S. Thomas).  It made me think about our upcoming Data Day on January 30th.  A couple of things affirmed the importance and educational impact these meetings can have.

We need to be able to take data and turn it into something useful:
We don’t need “data driven” schools. We desperately need “knowledge driven” schools.  The real breakthrough in increasing student achievement is to turn information into knowledge, and in a school setting, this happens through a collaborative process as teachers and administrators engage in focused conversations. When knowledge is used thoughtfully and purposely, the school will continually improve, and the school will become a true learning organization.

We need to look at data collaboratively:
Data analyses are not best done alone, sitting in front of a computer screen staring at Excel spreadsheets or colorful graphs. Data analyses are most effective when they are shared with other teachers with the same standards and assessments. These teachers can discuss concretely and specifically, based on student results, what is working and what is not working to increase student learning, asking questions like, “What do the students know?” “What do they not know?” and “What are we going to do about it?” These questions are the focus of helping schools to become learning organizations.

The importance of our work:
The purpose of teaching is to increase the achievement of all students and to eliminate learning gaps. Most teachers strive to be of service to something larger than ourselves. What better moral purpose can there be than increasing achievement and reducing gaps? After all is said and done, isn’t that why we are here?

We will meet on January 30th during grade level common planning time, collaborating with GT, Reading Teacher, sped, and our instructional coach - and anyone else interested in joining.  

Please let me know if you have any questions!
Sue

Mid-year SLO Checkpoint

Certified teachers - it’s time to do a mid-year check-in and evaluate how far all students have come with your SLO goals, as well as identify specific steps that can help everyone keep moving toward to attain those goals. There are three questions that can help you make sure you have the supports in place to help you stay on track with your SLOs for the second half of the year. 

1. How will I involve my students?

When you involve students, you get better results. If you give them the tools to visualize their own growth, students can have a clear understanding of working toward personal goals. In general, teachers can better help students reach their goals by helping them understand how to articulate in their own words what learning specific skills or knowledge looks like, what specific activities they can do to move toward their goal, and how those activities relate to the skills and concepts they are developing in class, and how they’ll know if they’re on the right track.

2. How will I partner with parents?

Getting parents involved in supporting students as they work toward their goals can be another great way to improve the likelihood of meeting or exceeding an SLO.

• The most powerful way to involve parents is through students. Have students share their goals with their parents (i.e.  by having students take something home to share). Encourage students to discuss with parents how they might continue to work on their goal at home.
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3. What are some things I can do as a teacher to help make sure my students are on track)?

Because SLOs are often set for the whole year, one of the most important things to do is break down the big-picture goals into attainable mini-goals. Ask yourself,  If I want to see this kind of student growth from my class by the end of the year, what do I need to do each month? Those monthly mini goals might involve professional development, resources, time with a literacy/math coach, support from a grade-level PLC team, and more. It's also important to check on progress mid-way. Without this checkpoint, it can be difficult to have a clear picture of whether or not the class is on track.

Information will be coming out this week to schedule a time to meet with me to go over your mid-year SLO check.  Please let me know if you have any questions about your SLO.
Sue

Emotional Intelligence

What is the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

The concept of Emotional Intelligence has become a very hot topic in recent years, especially in regards to how it affects today’s workforce. Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control, and evaluate emotions. Whether it's called social intelligence, emotional strength, or emotional intelligence, many experts believe that a person’s emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) may be more important than their IQ - and is a better predictor of success, quality of relationships, and overall happiness.

Think back to last September when we each looked at the different domains of Emotional Intelligence. Where did you rate yourself?  Where would you rate yourself now?  And how does this impact the work of your PLC/team? We will be exploring this at Tuesday's staff meeting.

Take a minute and review the four domains:

Domain	Element
Self- Awareness	I recognize and am aware of my emotions, especially those that surface when I’m working with a team.
	I am aware that my emotions can be contagious.
	I recognize my strengths and limits.  I know when I need to ask for help.
Self- Manage- ment	I can contribute to a positive, calm climate for a meeting right from the start.
	I can manage my emotions – especially difficult ones – so that I can effectively work on a team.
	I have a range of strategies to help me manage the emotions that arise from dealing with change, setbacks, and challenges, and can respond appropriately
	I can be transparent about my emotions in appropriate times for the sake of team building.
	I seek feedback and adjust and/or change my actions based on the feedback.
	I can admit to mistakes, faults, and my own areas for growth..
	I persist in the face of adversity and am frequently described by others as perseverant, resourceful, action oriented, committed, and passionate.
	I honor obligations by following through, being responsible, and being willing to be held accountable by others.
	I display optimism and a positive solutions-oriented attitude.
Social Awareness	I demonstrate empathy authentically and regularly to others on the team.
	I can sense the unspoken emotions of others.
	I recognize power relationships in the interactions of others and pay close attention to how they impact an individual’s participation in the group; I have strategies to address things that are negatively impacting the group.
	I have various strategies for cultivating an emotional climate where everyone gets what he/she needs to be a contributing member of the group.
Social Manage- ment	I recognize the emotional undercurrents in a group, and I’m responsive to the feelings and needs of others.
	I use various strategies to engage everyone in the group.
	I can advocate for change and I’ve found effective ways to overcome barriers to change.
	I acknowledge the strengths of the group, and encourage ways for members to share them.
	I can address conflict or concerns within the group, in an effort to keep the work productive.

We'll talk more on Tuesday!
Sue

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope this finds you rested and ready to return to the halls of Houlton!  I know many of you had a lot of plans for fun and family - we spent a lot of time at home, and it was fantastic!

The new year is always a time to restart, to refocus on what you want to accomplish in the upcoming year.  As is the topic of many New Year's Day conversations, we have many hopes and dreams for the year to come.  What are your goals for 2017, professionally and/or personally?

 Here's a list of the Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for Teachers...

1.  Stay positive.

2.  Spice up your classroom routine.

3.  Build fitness into your curriculum. (it wouldn't be a resolution without some mention of healthy lifestyles...)

4.  Get your work/life balance in order.

5.  Give individual time and attention to students.

6.  Get organized - work smarter, not harder.

7.  Don't let admin and school policies get you down.

8.  Get students involved/empowered!

9.  Make efficient use of planning.

10.  Plan some fun in your day.

Or, you might be just fine the way you are!  Whatever the case may be, Happy New Year!!  Here's hoping 2017 is filled with the pursuit of all of your hopes and dreams!

Welcome Back!
Sue