Remember Keith? Of rubberband fame and fortune? I saw him a few weeks ago in Boston. While he gives full credit for rubberband genius to his entire school team, it’s worth noting that he’s also made remarkable personal growth in his transition from Assistant to Full Teacher.
Like most Together (or aspiring-to-be) Teachers, Keith makes a great and intentional plan for his week. Peering over Keith’s shoulder, I noticed a few things about his Weekly Worksheet that really stood out.
As we frequently mention, any good Weekly Worksheet should:
- Name your priorities
- List your meetings, events, and appointments
- Spell out your to-dos, either in a time- or task-based fashion
- Capture your incoming to-dos
Keith is really a standout on this first dimension—prioritization! All too often, we all forget this and just try to cram it all in and get it all done. But not Keith! He takes the time to consider and list his priorities across three important dimensions:
- Instructional Strategies—Narrate the purpose of the unit and big picture
- Classroom Instruction—Reconnect with students after a (behavior) issue arises
- Personal—Stay on running schedule
Click to enlarge!
Keith’s Weekly Worksheet
Many Together Ninjas become experts at doing. But perhaps we’re not always doing the rigggght stuff. Maybe you, like me, occasionally fall prey to the Lure of the Lusty Checkmark (more on that in a few weeks). And maybe what you are doing isn’t always what’s most important.
So, once Keith names his priorities, what does he DO?
He looks at the time he has available, which is designated with white space in his Excel-based Weekly Worksheet, and starts to take action. Does he have enough time blocked to connect with students? Yup, see that “Jayden check-in” handwritten on Friday? Is there time to run? Keith has saved time for this after work.
Oh, and by the way, if you like Keith’s template, it is available in full-view as a PDF here, and in modifiable form here. If you love it enough, tell us, and we’ll add it to our workshop materials and Together Teacher’s 2nd Edition!
Thanks, Keith, for reminding us of the importance of prioritization!
