Monthly Archives: September 2017

Productivity Pro Tip: Plan Your Planning Period

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A reoccurring topic on this blog will be productivity. I love talking about productivity, efficiency, organizing, and using technology to help with all three. It is a favorite topic of mine to read about or listen to podcasts on! Today’s productivity pro tip is to plan your planning periods. Planning your planning period means to literally sit down and make a plan for your time that is your own. This also can include time before or after school (when you are not in meetings…).

To consider how to plan your planning period, two suggestions:

1.       Take time to think about what the most important tasks are for you to complete. Spending a couple minutes at the beginning of your day or planning period to focus on what is most important, can help you get more done in the end. Not only will this help you be productive, it will help you to prioritize and focus on what is most helpful and important. I make a list, separate from my to do list, of the 2-3 tasks that are most important for me to complete in my planning period.

two of my planning period priority lists from today

2.       Group together like tasks. If you have a couple different times in the day that are open for you to work, group together tasks that make sense to go together. For example, if you have to grade a few homework assignments, grade them during the same planning period so you can get into a rhythm. If you need to deliver various paperwork to others in your building, gather it all together and deliver it to various offices all on the same trip around the building. Ultimately this can help you to get more time back in your day.

Your job is more than email

When we don’t plan out our planning time, we can get sucked into email. We may just want to decompress, so we open our computer not knowing what we will do and end up lost in email. We may not know exactly what tasks need to be done, so we refer to our inbox as a to do list. The issue is that often our inbox does not list out the most important tasks for us to complete. It has the tasks (sometimes important, sometimes not) other people are asking of us.

Rather than checking my email at the beginning of my planning period, I tend to check it in the last 5 minutes or so. This gives me enough time to respond to quick emails and to make notes on my to do list if there is something I need to return to.

Do you plan your planning period? How does this help you to be more intentional about how you spend your time?

 

Connect Before You Correct

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The second line in my teaching manifesto says “Connect before I correct.” I learned this phrase from a colleague who learned it in a parenting class. As a teacher and a mom I tend to notice things. I notice when the door is left unlocked as we are leaving for school. I notice when we need more milk. I notice a new toy in the preschool classroom as I drop off my daughter.

I notice which students are hanging out together before school. I notice which students are breaking dress code. I notice which students are shopping online during class. I notice the student who seems to be off today.

The idea of connecting before I correct is to show that I notice the positive things before I show I noticed something to correct. For example, I could ask a student about how the volleyball match went last night, then later in class ask her about her missing assignment. I could take the time to find out what interests a student most before having a conversation with her about being off task on her device. It could even be a simple “hi, how’s it going?” to a student before asking him to report to the dean for being out of dress code.

Sometimes when we are in teacher-mode we are so quick to point out what needs to change or be done differently. We are quick to correct, hopefully out of a desire to help our students. But we can slow down. We can take the minute, or day, or week to connect first.

As we continue in September and this start of the new school year, I am reminded each day the power of connecting with my students. Having a one-on-one conversation can be hard in a high school when I have so many students in one day. Even still, it is absolutely worth it. With each day of the school year I am able to connect more and more helping my students to feel welcomed and valued.

This is not to let students off the hook. Rather, it is to remember they are people. There is more to them than just want needs to be corrected. When could you take more time to connect before you correct?

Start with a Question

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How many times do I need to learn this lesson? How many times have I left a meeting wondering where I went wrong, only to realize if I would have started with a question I would have been much better off? Too many. That is the answer.

My wise colleague, Julie, taught me this phrase. She always considers how she can start with a question, whether in conversations with students, colleagues, or parents. As Julie and I have discussed this idea over the years, we have come to recognize that starting with a question creates an inviting atmosphere and an opportunity for dialogue. I believe in this idea so much, it is the first line in my Manifesto on Teaching. Starting with a genuine, thoughtful question can help you to not get too stuck in your assumptions. As the stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” Listening is key, and starting with a question can help.

Last school year, I left a meeting feeling like I had been harsh and not understanding of a colleague. I was retracing the conversation to figure out what went wrong. As I remembered how the meeting started, I realized that I had started by jumping in with my own idea. I came across as not recognizing the good work my colleague was already doing. Instead of being helpful, I came across as a know-it-all. Needless to say, the tone I had then set for the meeting was less than ideal. As I reflected, I realized that if I would have started with a question the entire conversation would have felt differently.

Even starting class with a question can help draw students in. My classes start each day with Bell Work. I have a question posted on the board and the students respond to it for the first few minutes of class. At its best bell work can draw students in, help ensure a smooth transition to class, and provide a jumping off point for the lesson. (At its worst, bell work can be a wasted of time that feels like a busy work task that students despise. More on that in a future post!) Starting with a question honors our students perspectives and gives a space for student voice.

I have a feeling this lesson is one I will continue to learn. It can be hard to not jump right in with your own voice. But, over and over I remember, starting with a question is a great plan. When do you need to remember to start with a question?

Talking Manifestos with Gretchen Rubin

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One of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin, loves to share about manifestos. A manifesto is a statement to detail one’s beliefs on a topic, such as marriage or your profession. Gretchen (we are not actually friends on a first name basis, but I’m such a huge fan I feel like I actually know her) has written a happiness manifesto, a habits manifesto, and even a podcasting manifesto.

When her podcast was doing a live show in Seattle, where I live, I was over the moon! I quickly bought tickets along with my sister and good friend. As part of the podcast they invited listeners to submit their own manifestos. As a dedicated fan, I took this opportunity to write a manifesto on teaching. I emailed it in, got a thank you from Gretchen, and then didn’t hear anything else.

on stage with Elizabeth and Gretchen

Fast-forward to an incredibly rainy October night in Seattle. My sister, friend, and I were sitting in Town Hall, after a wonderfully fun dinner, thrilled to be seeing Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth Craft. As the podcast taping continued, Gretchen introduc ed the idea of manifestos and said they were going to share a couple that listeners had sent in.

All of the sudden I look at the screen and it says “Mrs. McGah’s manifesto on teaching.” My sister screamed in excitement. I was in shock. Gretchen Rubin was calling my name! She asked if Marianne McGah was there and I raised my hand (total teacher move!). They invited me to come up on stage and I sat in a bright red armchair, right next to Elizabeth and Gretchen. I couldn’t not believe it! I was freaking out!

Gretchen invited me to read my manifesto and explain a couple lines. If you want to hear the podcast episode check it out here: Live from Seattle!

It was such an honor to share my manifesto on the podcast. And I was so thankful that Gretchen had inspired me to write it. Putting my core beliefs about teaching into words was a powerful reminder of my vocation as an educator.

So, here it is: Mrs. McGah’s Manifesto on Teaching

  1. Start with a question
  2. Connect before I correct
  3. Whoever is doing the talking is doing the learning
  4. Do not eat free food (unless it is an entire meal)
  5. Develop skills over facts
  6. Technology is a tool
  7. Assume positive intention
  8. Not how smart are you, but how are you smart
  9. It’s not about me, however…
  10. I am a role model in all that I do (whether I feel like it or not)

In the coming blogposts, I will explain in more detail about these statements. Until then, what would you like to write a manifesto on? What statements would you include?

The First Post!!

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Hello there! I’m Marianne and I love teaching. I love learning about teaching. I love talking about teaching, and schools, and teachers, and learning. I’m in my 13th year of teaching and am still learning more and more each day.

the hubs and I

For the past 13 years, I have taught in high school religion, including World Religions, Scripture, Morality, Church History, and Social Justice. I also help with student life leading activities such as retreats and community service. I love the combination of working with students both in and out of the classroom. Before I had kids of my own, I coached volleyball for many years! It really brought out my competitive spirit, which is not all that hard to do.

As much as I love teaching, I really do love being a student. Over the years I have earned a Bachelors in Theology, a Masters in Secondary Education, and a Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership. Although I am done with formal degrees for the foreseeable future, I still love learning. This past summer I took an online class focused on organizing your digital life and LOVED it! Bringing together the worlds of organization, productivity, and technology was my jam!

In this blog, I intend to share thoughts and ideas about teaching, learning, technology, productivity, and other topics that seem valuable to have in the blogosphere. I am passionate about instruction, collaboration, reflective teaching, leadership, and focusing on engagement. I also love reading research on teaching and seeing the practical implications of that research in classrooms and schools.

In a world of so many blogs, I appreciate you stopping by and spending some time here! Feel free to leave me a comment or question. I’d love to hear from you!