Today’s idea and format is borrowed from Liz Garden’s Post. (Blog was taken down so link isn’t provided)
Procrastination City
I should work on my PD presentations.
But let me read one more section of the Writing Strategies.
I should work on my PD presentations.
Oh, is it raining out?
I should work on my PD presentations.
I need to respond to my “Slicers”.
I should work on my PD presentations.
Just one more cup of coffee.
I should work on my PD presentations.
Mya is ready for a walk now.
I should work on my PD presentations.
What’s happening on Twitter now?
I should work on my PD presentations.
Just a quick snack now.
I should work on my PD presentations.
I’ll just check my email quick.
I need to work on my PD presentation for tomorrow.
But . . .
Do you have those times when work is calling and any excuse will pull you away?
How do you focus?
What’s your secret?
How do you teach “Focus” to your students?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum and the #SOLSC that runs from March 1 to the 31st. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
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Oh yes, I certainly do have those moments. Deadlines make me focus; also, collaboration–the responsibility not to let someone else down. I think deadlines work well with students too. If I had let some of my students keep drafting, they would never have “finished” anything. Sometimes we are just not satisfied with our work and want to keep tweaking it. Deadlines make us stop as well as start!
Thanks, Diane!
I love this . . . “Deadlines make us stop as well as start!” I will keep tweaking up until the last minute and some days that does drive me nuts!
Yes, this is very familiar to me! Set a timer – tell yourself you’re going to work for 20 minutes. That’s my trick. Usually when the timer goes off I’m in a groove and will keep going.
Dana,
I love the timer idea. I need to use that more often as I “say” a time to myself but don’t always stick to it!
THANKS!
Fran, we share the same brain. Since I know that I, myself, struggle with focusing on a task I dont care to do, we do have to accept the fact that our kids do, too. And more of them every year. Teaching them to notice when their mind wanders is the start. And, then strategies for refocusing. I’ve even had them keep tallies of the number of times they notice their mind trails off during Reading workshop! What an eye opener!
Shari,
There’s an incredible amount of self-awareness including WHEN is this the worst? It varies . . . but I know that Saturdays often are not solid work time because I know I have Sunday . . .EVEN IF Sunday is totally filled up with activities!
Strategies for refocusing are critical.
I’m right there with you! I tend to mull in my head what I want to accomplish, but then when it comes down to laying it out, it is so hard to get started. Hope you had a few minutes to start on the presentation.
Thanks, I finally “made” myself work on it! Hard to work on it with so many more FUN distractions!
Love the repeating structure of this. It reminds me of what I think when I have something I should do but don’t want to. Glad you finally got started. Dana’s timer idea is a good one!
Erin,
The repetition in Liz’s original post really hooked me. Some days pressure can be an asset. “All the time in the world” is also NOT helpful to me at any rate!
This reminds me so much of Kathy. She works best under pressure not that she isn’t thinking about what she wants to say or how she is going to organize things. But once she starts, don’t get in her way. Besides, if you start working on something when you are not in the right frame of mind things don’t go well and you don’t get quality…at least that is what I tell myself.
Bob,
So true about being in the right frame of mind. Sometimes I can begin so early that I almost have whiplash from changing my mind. However, the last minute crunch is NOT always helpful either! ❤
View it as a way of clearing your head so it will be ready to work.
Thanks, I like that! Some days it is better not to rush in!
I am sure you are more than ready –sometimes less is more. When we are less “prepared” I think we pay attention to our audience more. I am sure you were working it through in your mind as you were procrastinating How did it go??
Clare
Clare,
It went well. One of eight sessions this week! Today was everyone and the “base” for the grade level work coming up. So interesting to be back in a school that I once worked in!
Thanks for your thoughts!
Clare,
It was a bit tricky to set up the alignment piece to begin our work this week and keep choice front and center! One down, seven to go this week! ❤