"I try so hard...I write lists, lists to follow lists...with due dates and times. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! I still haven't figured how to get things done on time! I wish I had learnt those skills from my school days along with the academics."
I was commisserating with a childhood friend of mine (I'm not phenomenal in this regard either but have improved since my school days). She was talking about her professional goals and where she wants to be in five years time.
Not many of us realize the importance of time management in our academic and professional advancement, let alone our emotional wellbeing. Every classroom has students who are always late with their papers/homework assignments; students who spend too much time on one part of the project and too little on other sections. Invariably, they cause and bear a lot of stress.
Say the teacher gives the class an assignment. The time needed to complete an assignment depends on several factors:
Is the assignment simple or comprehensive? The student has to gauge the time needed based on the grading/marks and the complexity of the assignment.
Is the subject of interest to the student? If it is an interesting topic it motivates the student to start work on the assignment. At the same time the student should keep the other factors in mind-complexity, sequence of task so that he /she doesn't spend too much or too little time.
Does the student have additional learning needs (LD, ADHD)? As we saw earlier, sustained attention is important to complete tasks.
Does the student know how to do task analysis? Each assignment has to be broken down into smaller tasks to be done in a sequence. The time required for the entire project is used up in smaller protions for each small task.
Does the student begin work on the assignment on time or is he/she a 'last minute' worker?
This is a very important skill not only in the classroom but in every other aspect of the student's lives. How many times do we hear mothers complain about their children not getting ready for school on time? How about waiting until the last minute to submit application forms? I knew a classmate of mine whose biology records were never submitted on time. Just before her Viva she had about fifteen pages to finish. Her friends were vey nice. They stayed up the night in her room and chatted-while she worked ofcourse:)
Ms.S
i think most adults too have this problem.How should one teach a child to manage time when his homework does not excite him ??
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteHere are some strategies to use-of course you may have to adapt these based on your child’s age and the amount of homework.
1.Make a checklist for the week showing what homework has to be completed for each day.
2.Sit with your child and decide what time of the day he/she will work on the homework (Do this together-so it is a joint decision). Things to remember: Do you want to give your child a break right after school and then do the work? Do you want your child to finish homework and then have free time? Generally, it is a good idea to have some unstructured play time after coming back from school (doesn’t have to be too long). It is important to finish the work before dinner time…this way there’ll be time to relax after homeowrk too.
3.Try to follow the same schedule everyday as much as possible.
4.Once you decide the time-if your child is old enough to tell time, give a verbal reminder when it is time to start work. If your child is very young to understand the length of time-use a kitchen timer to show how long he/she should stay in seat and work (eg 30 mts). If it is very boring, be in the vicinity to make sure your child is working. Drop a few encouraging phrases- “You have completed this, …” Keep it simple and directed towards what the child has accomplished as opposed to what remains to be done.
5.If there is a lot of homework to be done, sit with your child and break it into chunks and set time frames for each chunk-It is hard for children to concentrate for long periods, after a long day at school. Organize the work in order of importance-Geography is due tomorrow, so do that first; English is on Thursday, it can be done second. Science is on Monday, so that can be completed last (or maybe tomorrow).
6.When the work is done, have the child put an X next to that day’s homework list. Do this everyday with your child-it takes a while to become a routine but it pays off once it becomes an ingrained habit.
7.It is a good idea to let the child engage in activity of choice after the work is done-you are teaching the child to complete the least favored activity first.
8.With a very young child try small rewards after the activity and slowly work your way to intrinsic motivation. Bring it to your child’s attention…”You finished your homework. Now you can relax/do what you want…”
S