Time Mangement -- Being deliberate about tasks

As a new year (2012) gets underway, I'm thinking about that sense of overwhelming that I know students feel when there is so much promise in their schedules, but there will be so much required of them in terms of meeting demands, keeping track of deadlines and understanding teacher expectations. The grace period is over -- We know what the expectations are, we have a sense of the pacing and perhaps, we've even become entrenched in routine or habits that are working for some courses, but not for others.

This year, since September, many students have worked to find their footing; some with greater success than others.  How students approach a problem, devise a solution and/or work to execute a plan to get things done will vary immensely depending on their mindset, their confidence and the support they perceive.  I think parental/societal pressures as well as the work ethic that develops also have huge implications in terms of determining how to best help a student be deliberate about tasks.  That said, a student's desire to succeed is the only motivating force that is worth leveraging -- with the intrinsic push and the implicit confidence that a student has or can borrow (from a coach, from peers, from a teacher, from a parent) there is nothing that can't be accomplished.

How to cultivate confidence? -- My mother always asked me the question I could not answer, not in a bad way though -- it was as though she believed I had the answer (or could find it). She also (and my dad too) praised me to no end in terms of explicitly noting what I was good at as she (they) observed it.  What I was bad at? ... WELL there was plenty  (still is), and I demonstrated adequate frustration, I'm sure (even sometimes rude behavior) such that neither of my parents needed to comment.  They did however, redirect and encourage.  My father let me watch a lot -- if I asked, he would explain what he was doing or why; sometimes, he would even express frustration -- that's when I would walk away -- not one to enjoy confrontation at all : )  However, he usually finished the job he worked on, and my mother, again would praise and express gratitude (this time to him AND whoever was helping).  They were both (and still are) GREAT at accentuating the positive without ignoring the negative.  They inspired confidence!

I received a gift from a parent last year that was a token of her appreciation, but it was the note that came with it that I appreciated most -- it said, "you instill confidence."  It was the best compliment I could receive, and I didn't even know it until I read it.  Since then, I've thought about how I encourage students, what is possible through coaching and how by asking the right questions I can lead students to find some answers and/or motivate them to try what might work. [I essentially do what my parents did, but with greater focus on skill-building.]  Giving students an opportunity to reflect on their attempts and their intentions allows them to realize some potential, identify gaps and determine how to close those gaps.   That's what instilling confidence is all about. [It also happens to be the action plan associated with Assessment for Learning, heralded by Rick Stiggins, Jan Chappuis and others in Portland, Oregon  as part of the Assessment Training Institute.]

I always go back to Vygotsky's zones of proximal development as I consider what could work for students and/or what's not working.  I have to listen to their routines and their habits to find "windows" of opportunity for improvement.  If I can point out patterns to their routine or regularities in their habits, we've pinpointed that window.  I often start with asking about preferences -- time or task?  This, in the context of a desired short-range goal -- prepping for cumulative exams comes to mind at this time of year, or embarking on the long-term research project, provides the laboratory for experimentation.  If they seem more task oriented, we start there; if time boundaries appeal, we start there.  ALWAYS, though, it is a conversation.

By the end of the conversation, together we've identified specifics related to task, time, outcome and how to begin -- We've been deliberate about these and put them to paper (usually a post-it), always using language related to what the student CAN do, WANTS to do and how to leverage what already works.  We end our session agreeing to check-in and debrief on the plan, and when I see students in the hall, outside of school or on their way in or out, I like to think that seeing me reminds them of the commitment they've made to themselves and the confidence I have that they CAN DO what they have expressed a desire to accomplish.

Inherent to their motivation to succeed, of course are the expectations; the societal and familial pressures that exist below the surface and inform our actions, our beliefs and our approach.  How to negotiate academic expectations with a nod to acknowledging social, familiar and personal pressure will be the next topic to cover...