2nd Edition

Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders

By Frank Buck Copyright 2016
    134 Pages
    by Eye On Education

    134 Pages
    by Eye On Education

    In today’s world, we’re often overwhelmed by our digital devices, stacks of paper, and constant interruptions. Get Organized! outlines a complete organizational system for the busy school leader. Providing you with simple tools and techniques to bring order and control to your personal and professional life, this book will increase your productivity and decrease your stress. With Get Organized! you can spend your time on what matters most—your school and your students.

    Special Features:

    • Includes easy to implement ideas, at little or no cost—you can start right away!
    • Each chapter contains practical tips and tools, listing exactly what to do in order to implement the strategy.
    • This entirely updated edition provides digital strategies and tips for thriving in the Information Age.

    About the Author

    Dedication

    Preface

    Chapter 1 Clear Your Desk

    Is His Day Like Your Day?

    Are You a School Leader?

    Time: Friend or Foe?

    A Simple Solution

    Creating a Tickler File

    The Tickler File in Action

    Other Examples

    Forgetting is a Good Thing

    The Paper Workflow

    Let’s Tackle the Rest of the Desk

    Let’s Tackle the Rest of the Office (or Classroom)

    An "L-Shaped" Desk

    Prepare Tomorrow Today

    My First-Year Secret Weapon

    Summary: Your Desk is Clear and So Is Your Thinking

    Chapter 2 Your Signature Tool

    What is a "Signature Tool"?

    Why You Should Use a Digital Tool

    An Organized Task List

    A Task List That Gets Done

    The Calendar

    A Very Complete Contacts List

    A Wealth of Reference Material

    Our Love/Hate Relationship with Email

    Summary: You Only Have One Place to Look

    Chapter 3 Handling Repeating Tasks

    Setting Up a Repeating Task System

    Who Can Help? The Art of Delegation

    Expanding the Repeating Task List Throughout the Organization

    Summary: Do the Thinking One Time and Let the System Handle the Rest

    Chapter 4 Managing the Flood of Incoming Information

    Documentation

    Email

    Let’s Begin Getting In to Empty

    Voice Input

    Summary: Surf the Wave Instead of Drowning in the Flood

    Chapter 5 Handling Multiple Projects

    Projects are Different

    Project Execution: The GPS of Life

    Define the Goal

    Break the Project into Small Steps

    Put the Next Steps and the Related Goal on the Task List

    Keep Related Information with the Project

    Stick With a Project as Long as You Can

    Put a Bookmark in the Project

    Organize the Supporting Material

    Summary: Build a Reputation for "Staying on Top of Things"

    Chapter 6 Where Do I Put It?...It’s Paper

    Fingertip Files

    Current Projects

    Reference Files

    Off-Site Storage

    File It the Way You Find It

    Summary: Paper is Not the Enemy—Lack of a System Is

    Chapter 7 Where Do I Put It?...It’s Digital

    The Computer Desktop

    Documents

    Fingertip Files

    Current Projects

    "Cloud" Storage

    Using Multiple Cloud Services

    Backing-Up Your Files

    Summary: It’s Only of Value if You Can Find It Quickly

    Chapter 8 Evernote Made Easy

    A Day in the Life of the Evernote User

    The Case for Evernote

    Getting Started

    What Notebooks Do You Need?

    Stacks, Notebooks, and Tags

    Returning to Linda’s Day: Lesson Plans in Evernote

    Designing Your Own System

    Digital Documents versus Digital Notes

    Summary: Your Notes Just Became More Valuable

    Chapter 9 Putting it All Together: Mindy’s Math Dilemma

    The Goal and the Next Step

    The Initial Meeting

    Project Planning

    When the Dance is Over

    Total Control and Peace of Mind

    Chapter 10 Time is My Friend

    References

     

    Biography

    Frank Buck is an education consultant to schools and businesses. He has served as a central office administrator, principal, assistant principal, and band director during a career in education spanning almost 30 years. Dr. Buck writes a weekly newspaper column, maintains an active blog, and regularly presents at national conferences, including ASCD, Learning Forward, AMLE, NAESP, and Staff Development for Educators.

    "From organizing your tasks to managing your inbox, Get Organized! is filled with practical tips you can implement today.  Now that I’ve read the book, I'm more organized, relaxed, and focused because I know how to have everything in place.  If you are overwhelmed by all you have to do, this book is for you."

    --Barbara R. Blackburn, author of 15 books, including Motivating Struggling Learners: 10 Ways to Build Student Success

    "Is it time to get your life back? In the ten minutes it takes to read (and the one hour it takes to implement) even the first chapter of Get Organized!, you’ll gain a sense of ease and control over your workload. As a former high school teacher, I wish I had been given this book the week before I started my teaching career. Read it today, and regain time—and your life— tomorrow."

    --Jason W. Womack, Author, Your Best Just Got Better

    "This book is like having a private consultation with an amazing organization guru. Anyone can get organized, simply by reading Dr. Buck's book, thanks to the easy concise instructions that will quickly change your life for the better!"

    --Pattie Thomas, Principal of Raymond. L. Young Elementary School, AL

    "While Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders is a relatively quick read, it will instantly become your go-to manual as you look to increase your most valuable resource in education: Time."

    --Michael Janatovich, Middleweb

    "Buck is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable writer, and I hope that Get Organized! soon becomes required reading in education and administrative classes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to begin a new career or assignment well organized? Time is of the essence."

    --Dr. Mary Langer Thompson, Middleweb