Time management seems to be an issue for most people. Meeting deadlines is a normal part of our lives. However for me, trying to keep everything straight because I am at multiple buildings creates some interesting dynamics.
I split my time between two K-8 buildings and one traditional middle school. All three administrators like their buildings, are distinctly different. Each has unique expectations and requirements that must be met and fulfilled. To keep all of these moving parts straight I have had to rely on an organizational system - my online outlook calendar.
To begin with, I used to rely on a tried and true paper and pencil method. I had a paper calendar that I carried with me and would edit entries as needed. That became cumbersome because not only was it inaccessible if I forgot it, but too my OCD of making mistakes, crossing out things, looked hideous. However this year I began to look for options.
The first option I pursued was Google Calendar. I quickly abandoned this though because none of my schools used Google Calendar. Instead they rely on their Outlook Calendars for invites and such. Hence why I am using Outlook Calendar for all of my calendar needs.
Three three day challenged commenced with me trying to wrap my mind around how I could organize my calendar to make it more efficient. My first idea was to color-code each entry based on the school I was serving for that entry. For example, Glenwood Leadership Academy's colors are red and gray. Every time I make an entry for GLA in my Outlook Calendar I color-code it red. I followed the same procedure for my other schools. I even set a color for home entries!
Next, I set about looking to see what standing appointments I had, the times listed, and if I was making efficient use of my time. Since I have standing appointments with teacher teams, I have to leave time in between those meetings to get other parts of my workload completed. By moving a few appointments around, I was able to meet my PLC obligations, but also allow time to catch up on other building/district initiatives I am responsible for.
So you can see, just by diving into an organization tool that I am already using synced on all of my devices - Outlook Calendar, I was able to be more efficient with my time and resources!
I strongly urge you to consider an online calendar to organize your life. If not outlook, try Google Calendar, and/or Yahoo Calendar. All good options!
