Time and Energy Management

The last two administrators who have come to observe me have commented on the energy that I give to teaching an engaging language class.    I have noticed over the course of my whole career that I have to "gear up" to get ready for my classes.  In recent years, as I've attended a variety of professional development experiences, including a Rassias method class that talked about Rassias' own background in acting that he brought to teaching, I've thought more and more about how important it is that I continue bringing energy, enthusiasm, and playfulness to my classes.  However, it is also essential to practice self-care, as the energy to teach by regularly varying activities and using methods to engage students in actively using language can be exhausting.  Here are some things that I try to do make sure I can continue to maintain the energy needed for teaching:

• Prioritize:  I have a practice of making a daily list of the six things I'd like to accomplish.  To be honest, it is rare that I get through all six, and I also keep a running list of the other thirty things I need to work on as well.  However, the practice of making that list each day reminds me of what is really important for that particular day.
• Practice self-compassion:  I often cannot do even my six main priorities each day.  However, I remind myself that it is more important to put the students and adults who are in front of me first each day, rather than focusing on accomplishing everything on my list.  I take a lot of deep breaths and remind myself that I am doing the best I can with the time I have and with everything on my plate.
• Time for myself:  At least once a day, I forget about all the "to dos," and I do something for myself.  It may be taking a walk with a friend, doing a meditation, practicing yoga, going for a run, or treating myself and my daughter to a manicure.  I have found that putting these events on my calendar ensures that I actually drop everything and do these things for myself.  
• Family time:  I also prioritize spending time with my family daily, usually over a shared family dinner.   Now that I am done with graduate school, I find that the time I used to study has been taken over with preparing dinners, but I am glad to get back to doing that with my husband.  Cooking is also one of my favorite ways to nurture my family, so I am glad to be back to prioritizing that.  
• Sleep:  For me, sleep is a necessity, and I seem to need more sleep than most.  With rare exceptions, I am in bed for eight hours a night - even though that means going to bed without finishing my work.  Notice I say that I am in bed for eight hours - even though sometimes I can't sleep.  I used to have terribly insomnia, and one way I got out of that pattern was by forcing myself to stay in bed for those eight hours even if I am not sleeping well.  On the rare occasions that I can't set aside eight hours for sleep, I am sure to get no fewer than six hours.  For me, it makes a huge difference in my health and energy.  
• Time management:  I am a religious user of an electronic calendar to organize my work time and self-care.  As a matter of fact, the first thing I teach new advisees is how to get their Google calendars to sync with their phones.  In the first month of school I teach them to get their classes to sync with their phones since we have a rotating schedule.  When they make an appointment with me, I have them create the calendar event and share it with me, so that it will appear on both of our phones.  When I have an important task to be done, I block out time on my calendar.  I have found the calendar to be an essential tool for sustaining my life as a teacher.
• Teaching students self-efficacy and responsibility:   Finally, I remind myself that students don't need me to do everything for them.  They are responsible for their own learning, though I may need to instruct them on how to do that initially.  The more I can teach students how to do things like manage calendars and utilize learning tools, the more they will be empowered, and the less I'll need to spend my energy on things that students can do for themselves. 

What tips do you have for making sure you have the energy to teach?  

Rassias Method Workshop Experience

Last month I had the opportunity to attend the Rassias method class at Belmont Abbey College with Nancy Llewellyn, Jason Slanga, and Carson Thomas.  Here are some of my thoughts after the weekend:

·      It is most useful to learn new skills and then have the opportunity to practice in front of and get feedback from colleagues.  I have too few opportunities to do this, but whenever I do it results in powerful learning.  This was a great reminder to me of how I need to be more intentional about creating these opportunities for myself as a teacher and learner.  It also was an important reminder of how imperative formative feedback is for my students.  The Rassias method drills provide great ways to give non-threatening formative feedback to students during their process of constructing linguistic knowledge. 

·      Observing other teachers is amazing professional development.  The opportunity to see Nancy Llewellyn teach a class to her seminarians was essential for helping me to build my understanding of how these methods could combine into a lesson.  We were given that opportunity to see her teach early on in the workshop before we had been taught many of the methods.  That observation was important for building my own motivation to learn the techniques.  Motivation is essential for all learners, and I need to make sure I am paying attention to that with my own students.

·      Language learning should be fun.  Nancy’s students were clearly having fun during class – at the same time as they were being challenged.  This made the challenge feel non-threatening to them and clearly amplified their learning.  When we were practicing the methods ourselves, we teachers also spent a lot of time laughing together.  The fun we had learning motivated us to be more creative in our linguistic production to keep the fun going, contributing even more to an already powerful learning experience.  I want to recommit myself laughing more with my classes.

Teachers know that it is incumbent on us to model lifelong learning for our students.  Attending this workshop was a great way for me to experience being back in the classroom.  If you ever have the chance to attend yourself, I can’t recommend the experience highly enough.  I know they already have dates up for an October workshop, which you can see here.  My recommendation is to start thinking now about what grants you can apply for to get there.  - Parva