Time Management

Here are some of the highlights from the Tools For Successful Learning workshop last week…

“The bad news is time flies; the good news is you’re the pilot.” ~ Michael Altshuler

I love this quote because it gets to the heart of the matter in time management. You are in charge, and without effort on your part this just will not be go well. The plane cannot fly itself- you have to take control. But that’s also the good news, you have the opportunity to chart a course for how your time will be spent.

Using some form of time management is important for many reasons. Here are just a few of the most common:

• It helps you be more dependable
• You feel less stressed/ overwhelmed by your tasks
• You are less likely to miss something important

Time Log

A good first step to re-thinking how you use your time is to keep a time log for 3-7 days. A time log is simply a chart that lets you fill in your activities in half-hour (or sometimes quarter-hour) increments. The key to doing a time log is to be consistent; carry it around with you and record what you actually do. Also, you might want to leave a place to indicate if the things you did were scheduled, interrupted, and/or urgent tasks.

Look back over your time log and ask: which activities do you spend the most time on? how many of the things you did were planned activities? how many activities were interrupted, and what interrupted them? were there things you wanted to get done on a certain day, but didn’t? and what happened that prevented you from doing those things?

Once you know how you are currently spending your time and what things are causing interruptions to your day or are wasting your time, you can brainstorm some ways to cut out the wasteful activities and stay on track with the things that are important to get done.

Helpful aids

• To-Do lists: Use one that has a place to mark which tasks are the most urgent or write the list with the most important tasks first and the least important at the bottom. If a To-Do list is too compact, make a bulletin board for posting tasks separately. There are tons of different formats. Experiment and stick with the one that works best for you.
• Calendars: Make sure there’s a calendar posted in your home. You can even print out a Three-Months-At-A-Glance calendar so you can be aware of projects and events as they creep closer. Small planner calendars with room to write appointments and that you can carry with you are great for keeping you from setting conflicting appointments or forgetting an appointment you made while you were on the go.
• Set aside a designated study space in your home, and if possible set aside a designated study time each day. This can help you establish a rhythm to your day that incorporates your learning.
• Weekly clean-ups of your work space can help keep you on track by reducing clutter and the distraction that can often come with it.

With any method of time management, flexibility and prioritizing are major keys to succeeding. Things will come up and disrupt your plans. Sometimes you will have more things to do than you can possibly get done in a single day. But if you focus on the most important tasks first and remain open to inevitable changes in your plan, you will be well on your way to taking control of your time and using it well.

Pre-Literate Refugee Training Reflections

This post was written by Emily K., Melinda, Jocelyn, and Natalie.

 

On November 30, we went to a Pre-Literate Refugee Training put on by Literacy NOW. It was a very informative training. The manual for the class can be found online and we have a hard copy at Literacy Source. It is full of activity ideas and methods for teaching pre-literate students. This includes using models and props; for example, Cuisenaire rods or realia (this word must be said slowly and with a posh British accent.)

 

We had an interesting lesson learning Hindi words and characters which helped us to better understand what it feels like to be submersed in a foreign language with very different sounds and characters than English. This lesson helped us to understand how much we rely on the language learning skills we developed while learning how to read and write in English in order to make a connection with the new language. It also showed us how different segments of a lesson can be taught so that they build off of each other. For example, you can introduce a new word verbally, use it in context, teach the corresponding script to go with it, and identify and practice it through speech and writing. You can also use simple objects as visuals like index cards, worksheets (with a lot of white space for pre-literate students), colored blocks (Cuisenaire rods), and much more. These tools can be used in what is called the “whole-parts-whole” or “top-down-top” approach to a lesson.  

 

Speakers of an unwritten language such as Mung or certain dialects from Somalia have developed very different language learning skills. The first step in educating a pre-literate student involves tapping into their language learning skills- which are entirely auditory. The pre-literate student must learn how to identify the different sounds within words before s/he can understand that those sounds may be attached to characters. So basically there is an entire auditory learning process that must be addressed before the student may move on to visual learning (ie. reading.)

 

 The whole-parts-whole method of teaching was emphasized. This is where the lesson starts with the big picture, is broken down into components, and then put back into the big picture. We learned that it is important to use material generated by the student through LEA approach. This approach uses examples from the student’s life to create many different types of curriculum. In the LEA approach, the student (or group of students) talk about an experience they had (ex: a fieldtrip, what they did over the weekend, etc.). The teacher copies down what the student(s) says, reading back over the entire composotion after each line is added. The object is to get a paragraph of student-generated material; it will be written text that is already known by the learner(s).  Also, establishing a sense of connection with the student’s personal experience is extremely important when working with pre-literate students, and the LEA approach does that.

Pre-literate students have a variety of needs that must be addressed in order for them to successfully develop ESL literacy skills. This workshop helped to make us more aware of some of their specific needs and the best techniques for addressing those needs. We recommend this workshop for anyone who is tutoring and teaching beginning level ESL students.

 

The Teaching Pre- Literate Refugee’s Workshop was offered by LiteracyNOW. You can find out more information about this organization and the different resources they offer at: www.literacynow.info. (You can also sign up for their monthly newsletter at this web address.)

Using Tactile Objects (Lesson Plan)

Our lovely Library volunteer Chloe has written a great lesson plan on using tactile objects to make your lesson plan more engaging. This is especially helpful for low level learners and/or students who are working with learning disabilities. Please pick up a copy in the main staff area of the center!

Are my lessons working?

I have a general question for all tutors and instructors: How do you measure the success of your lesson plan?

Spelling: What to Teach

Most students at Literacy Source have some difficulty spelling. This can impact their willingness and ability to write. But where to start? Consider following these guidelines to maximize the time you spend on spelling instruction:

1. Spelling words should be words that the student is already familiar with through speaking, listening, and reading.
2. Word lists should focus on high frequency writing vocabulary. For example, use high-use words from work reports, children’s school notes, postage and mailing, etc.
3. The spelling rules that you teach should be the ones that apply to a large number of words with few exceptions.
4. Excellent spellers use a Visual Memory strategy to learn new spelling words – taking a mental photograph of the word to put into longterm memory. Other supportive strategies include breaking up the word into pieces, derivation, rules, sound, use of the dictionary, and sound.

Check out this article for thoughts and opinions on good spelling.

• Level One High Use Spelling Words
• Level Two High Use Spelling Words
• Level Three High Use Spelling Words
• Level Four High Use Spelling Words
• Level Five High Use Spelling Words