Week 6 Discussion - Managing Interruptions

I think this quote resonates with me deeply. We have all heard the phrase “time is money” and I think that goes hand in hand with this quote. Our time is valuable. This is true in any profession but is especially true in ours where we are asked to wear several different hats and complete several different tasks with only 24 hours in a day. 

I have already observed the problem of many people vying for the school leader’s attention in my internship. During one of my planning blocks, I shadowed my principal. She had a to-do list that was several items long. In the ninety-minute block, she accomplished exactly none of the items on the list. This was due to constant interruptions by students, staff, and parent phone calls. I noted in my journal that week that if I were in my principal’s shoes, I would hold specific office hours in which people could come to me with concerns or in which I could address parent concerns. Outside of emergencies, all other times would be spent working towards my to-do list items rather than dealing with unexpected and non-emergency concerns in the moment. When you are in control of your time, and using your time wisely, you have greater freedom of the extra time you have available. For example, throughout my time in this program I have tried to stay ahead of the assignment deadlines. I try to get all of my work done before Friday because I know that I like having my weekend to accomplish tasks outside of the coursework and to take time to myself. By getting my work done in a timely manner, I am giving myself the freedom of my time on the weekends. Procrastination only serves to waste time when you could be being productive, only to then steal time you could be spending on other things. This could easily translate to the role of school leader. By using my time wisely while at school and working as an administrator, I would be allowing myself more freedom in the long run.