Guest Blogger-Sheena Kelly

Managing the Minutiae

Sheena Kelly, Teacher-Librarian | Peak to Peak K-12 

 

“stress free productivity”

The start of the school year is anxiety laden and, if you’re anything like me, is always accompanied by a fresh set of stress zits. But after about a week I remember...I’ve got this. My organizational system keeps me relatively sane while juggling the endless tasks I have to do at any given moment. My journey to “stress free productivity” (a phrase I literally lol’ed at when I first bought David Allen’s book circa 2009) has been one of steady progress and even though I’ve been getting things done for years, I’m still discovering better ways to organize my commitments.

The problem with doing a thing is that it’s never one thing. Working on a blind date with a book program involves creating display signage (which involves making a digital flyer or assembling die cuts and butcher paper for a bulletin board), pulling books, wrapping books (which involves finding/gathering paper, tape, scissors), promoting the program (which involves creating/printing/posting more flyers, intercom announcements, email blast to English teachers), assessing the program, and this list could go on and on. The thousand little things that have to be done in order to be successfully with the end product of a single endeavor can be overwhelming. Each of those “open loops” buzzes around in your brain until you accomplish the task (sometimes the same “oh! don’t forget to...” popping up several times in the same hour/day/week). That’s where Getting Things Done comes in.

Step 1 : Brain Dump

Use the Incompletion Trigger Lists to identify the open loops in your life. Get several blank sheets of unlined paper and write down everything that comes to mind as you look over the lists. A key tenet of Getting Things Done is getting things off of your mind and turning your open loops into actionable tasks. This “brain dump” is a good exercise to do weekly.  

Step 2 : Werk

Use the Mastering Workflow diagram to work your way through each task/commitment you identified. The workflow takes you step by step as you process the “stuff” in your life. I recommend using the app Todoist to keep track of tasks identified during processing. Once you’ve finished with the trigger lists, move on to the other “stuff” in your life (email inbox, stack of mail, notes from that meeting...).






My personal organizational system is heavily influenced by GTD but also very different. I’ve settled (for now) on a hybrid paper/digital system for organizing personal and professional goals and obligations. You’ll discover a system that works for you, and remember to be patient with yourself along this journey. Here are a few screen shots of my Todoist to inspire you to organizational bliss!

Suggested Resources

“Getting Things Done” by David Allen 

This is a must own for ready reference and writing in the margins. If you want to save a few pennies, the first edition is just as good as the newer one.

Listen to GTD podcasts online for free!

Todoist task manager (web and mobile)

I lived quite happily with the free version of Todoist for many years before upgrading. The paid version has some nice perks (notifications for example) that are indispensable now that I’m used to them.

Boomerang for Gmail [Add-On]

With only 10 free messages a month, the paid plan ($4.99/month) is necessary if you want to make truly effective use of this tool.

Password Manager Template

I created this to help me manage the hundreds of oddly specific passwords and security questions/answers I have to manage. I have one of these spreadsheets for work, and one for my personal accounts!

Guest Blogger - Tracy Huffman

Summer Library Program Cultivates Community

Tracy Huffman, Teacher Librarian | Superior Elementary 

"...libraries are no longer the sole source of literary nutrition"

Hello, I’m the new Teacher Librarian at Superior Elementary where I have been a classroom teacher for many years. The Summer Library Program has been a fixture of Superior Elementary for the last twenty years.Throughout much of that time, it remained constant with the same goals to incentivize reading and minimize the “summer slide” in a community that doesn’t have a local library. This summer my 16-year-old son and I ran the summer library program, and it was a valuable introduction into the ongoing changes of the school library for me! Our students live in an age of plentiful and readily available information, and libraries are no longer the sole source of literary nutrition for growing readers. In looking at ways to revitalize the Summer Library Program, we knew we wanted to make sure that the library was not only a place to check out books, but also a place for community interaction.  

“Read for the Stars”

As is tradition, a theme was implemented to tie together activities and incentives to foster excitement for the Summer Library Program. This summer’s theme was “Read for the Stars” to capitalize on the upcoming solar eclipse. Various structured and unstructured activities provided the foundation for increasing engagement time at the library. Over the course of the summer, families spread out throughout the library and worked together to build spaceships, telescopes, space stations, 2-D and 3-D stars, planetariums, and even more using Legos, blocks, magnets, and geoboards. They also gathered at tables to create constellation tubes, pinhole projectors for the eclipse, space bookmarks, aliens, and astronauts. And, students still checked out books and snuggled up on couches to read. I believe that activities increased engagement time and provided an incentive to come to the library each week. 

"...capitalizing on the curiosity to learn and collaborate"

Activities increased checkout because summer book circulation was up. Reflecting on the Summer Library Program, I know that adapting the library to meet the needs of students, families, and staff is and will continue to be a crucial part of my job as Teacher Librarian. Yes, I want to promote literature and foster a love of reading and want to continue to cultivate community by capitalizing on the curiosity to learn and collaborate in the heart of the school, the library. In fact, maybe the most successful libraries are happening where those two mutually beneficial ideas are occurring. 

After Pam Sandlian Smith’s presentation during Day 1 of the Future Ready Librarians Professional Pathway, I am inspired to create meaningful and plentiful experiences in the library that cultivate community.