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I’ve been with family for the last two weeks, making up for lost time. It’s wonderful.
The only problem is that I have only about three hours a day to work. (Yes, I guess I could have taken a vacation, but I didn’t plan ahead, so here I am.)
Working only a few hours a day is quite clarifying. I focus on the tasks that will cause a problem for me or someone else if I don’t do them. Everything else, even the stuff that is important-but-not-urgent, gets postponed.
Read MoreIt’s a nice feeling of accomplishment when I finish writing and formatting my blog post each day.
Some days, I’ve even written two posts. Wheeee! But it’s funny—writing more posts doesn’t really mean that I’m crossing more stuff off of my to-do list. The days and the blog posts will keep on coming, like the chocolates on Lucy and Ethel’s conveyor belt. Getting a few days ahead is always nice, but there’s still more to write. So maybe I’ve taken care of today and tomorrow, but I will need to keep it going.
Read MoreI know that I tend to be at my best when I wake up early.
Whether it’s a weekday or the weekend, I feel physically, mentally, and emotionally sharpest throughout the day if I rise before dawn.
Like sticking to a schedule, tracking my time, eating certain meals at certain times, getting lots of exercise, starting the day with creative work, and staying well ahead of deadlines, this is just one of the things that I know works for me.
Except when it doesn’t.
Read MoreMy team and I teach our students to create their own learning plans.
It’s exciting to empower them to make their own decisions about pacing. For instance, if they want to finish an algebra textbook by April 1, they might realize that they have to do two hours outside of class each weekday. When this “homework” is self-administered and in the service of a goal, they are much more enthusiastic about it.
Read MoreA friend’s daughter, a first-grader, was invited to do math with the second graders at the start of the school year.
My friend was conflicted about it. She, herself, skipped fourth grade math and still remembers the feeling of being lost and confused in fifth grade math and resented for the privilege. She was worried that her daughter would have the same experience.
The way school subjects are organized in the American system contributes to these kinds of age vs. ability conflicts. Students are expected to move in lock-step with their cohort, regardless of whether they understand the material. If they don’t, they will be with kids of a different age, which has the potential to cause social problems and still doesn’t guarantee that they’ll have their academic needs met.
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