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What I said then:
Beginning a new semester is always a messy proposition -- at least for me. As new ideas proliferate and mix with old papers, I end up with piles which, if not put in some kind of order, threaten to bury all those great ideas before I even get started. Since my styles haven't changed, I know just which tools I need to get me through the transition from summer to semester. Here are a few of my favorites.
- Flat surfaces. I hinted yesterday that my sofa is one of my organizational tools, but the truth is, any flat surface will do when it comes to packing my bag for school (or packing anything for anywhere, for that matter.) To make sure I don't forget anything, I lay everything out, separated into piles by course (a general psych pile, an early child development pile and a freshman seminar pile). Then, each pile goes into a hanging file folder that goes into my bag, and off I go!
- Steno book. This is a new addition to my arsenal. The two column layout allows me to put two classes on the front of each page and my third class and my writing projects on the back. This keeps all my to-do lists in one place, held together by the spiral at the top of the book. In the past, I've used single sheets divided into sections, but they quickly become crumpled in my bag and the lists invariably intermingle. I'm very optimistic about this new approach, especially since my writing, which gets short shrift during the semester, has its own column among all of the teaching stuff.
- Planners--this year's and last year's. When it comes to my classes, I use my planner as a combination calendar/journal. I write all my due dates (color coded by class) on the month-view pages and use the daily pages to keep track of my progress. Then, when it comes time to set due dates for the coming semester, I simply go back to my notes to create my course calendar. As a global person, I'm much less stressed out by the details of due dates when I have a reference point, and, once I've updated this year's planner, I can set aside last year's version, grateful for its assistance. I'm not quite ready to get rid of it yet, so I'll store it with my reference materials.
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What I say now:
Planners: I still swear by them. Setting up the course calendar (what we're doing when) remains my most time-consuming and least favorite semester prep task. I've gone through several planners since this post was written, but every one has had the same set-up -- enough space to write due dates on the month view and enough space for each day on the weekly view to allow me to keep track of where I started and where I left off so I can begin the next class seamlessly, even if I fall behind. Especially then.
That steno book earned its keep for a long time but, once I started using a clipboard for my course paperwork and tucked my single sheet weekly summary under its clip, the steno book got set aside. I still like the column set-up, though, and, when to-do tasks for my classes become overwhelming, it's very possible I'll put that steno book back in action.
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| Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile |
Though I still avail myself of flat surfaces to lay out course materials, I've gotten much better at making it a tidier proposition. Usually, my dining room table is my go-to because I can lay out materials for multiple classes and still see everything. I'm happy to say that my organizational systems for paper flow have kept the living room sofa largely off-limits as an organizing surface.
Having the right tools is key to getting off to a good start and, when we find the ones that work for our styles, we often continue to use them. Even better, we learn to replicate those same ideas in other trouble spots so we can whip them into shape, too.
What are your favorite tools for keeping tasks in mind and papers under control?
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