Employment

Monday, September 20, 2010

Here’s Your Sign! Increase Teacher Productivity With Signs

www.employmentmag.com

Being productive sometimes requires that you announce to others or even give yourself a reminder of what you are trying to accomplish. Handy signs can actually be a big benefit to you as an educator, and can help to enhance your productivity level. Making your own signs is fun and easy – and you’ll see from the ideas below how simple signs can be useful in keeping you “on task” and helping others stay focused as well. You can make signs on plain paper with a marker, or you can use sticky notes for small signs on your computer monitor.

Remind yourself of what you are doing and why you are doing it. For example, a simple sign that reads, “If I Died Right Now, Would This Task Matter?” or “What Should I Really Be Doing Right Now?” may help you focus on your priorities and determine what really matters on your to-do list. If you have a particular task that you need to complete but are afraid that you might overlook it amid the chaos of the day, make a sign for it. For instance, “Grade Papers to Return Tomorrow”. Tape the simple handwritten sign that is reminding you of what you are doing in a very visible (to you) area.

Use handmade signs to remind you of what your focus for the day needs to be – but don’t overlook your longer term “focus” as well. For example, if you have a particular goal for your future, keeping a hanging reminder of it can help you stay on the right track and perhaps see things in the “bigger scheme”, such as “Master’s Degree within the Next Five Years”.

Add humorous reminders that may make you smile (and think). If you have been looking to get rid of “junk” from the classroom, for example, you might choose a sign like “Postponed Decisions Are the Equivalent of Clutter”. Inspire yourself with handmade signs like “Breathe” or “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”. Want to stop a bad habit? Remind yourself of it with a sign that does just that, such as “Stop Biting Your Nails” or hang a sign beside your phone that reads “Do Not Interrupt Others While Talking”.

Use signs to tell other people what you need them to do or want them to do. For example, if you place a stack of books in the teacher’s lounge that you no longer want, place a sign on them that say “Free to Good Home – Take Them All”. This will keep you from being interrupted by people asking you why your books are stacked in the teacher’s lounge.

Keep people from disturbing you with a “Do Not Disturb” sign that tells them why you wish not to be disturbed, such as “Please Do Not Disturb – Planning” or so on. You can accomplish so much more if you don’t allow for interruptions – and don’t allow interruptions to occur in the first place. Don’t worry, other educators will know just where you are coming from and probably applaud your gutsiness in demanding not to be disturbed!


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