Anyone out there still using a paper calendar or planner to chart out your week, track your kids’ activities, and attempt to maintain a chaotic schedule? While your student may make fun of you for being “old school,” it turns out you are likely more efficient because of it. Those paper planners with your notes and to-do lists written in are less likely to cause a distraction than their technological counterparts. No one gets lost for hours mindlessly watching viral videos, scrolling social media, or messaging friends when checking their old-fashioned planners, but these are real concerns when consulting a digital planner.
Some students are able to handle the mix of technology, organization, and planning, but many are not. They often log on or open an app with the intention of checking to see what needs to be done, but soon find themselves lost in the online world, forgetting the purpose of turning on the device in the first place. If this sounds like your son or daughter, my suggestion is to get your student a written planner and ask him or her about it each night. Ask to see that it is filled out. They need to be responsible for it, but you can help hold them accountable. If your student would like a paper/pencil, written planner, tell them to stop by the office and we’d be happy to give one to them. That written planner has the potential to save your student (or you) a couple of hours a week.
Challenge: Make sure you have a written planner and use it exclusively for the next week.
9/17/19
