2 Organizing Your Time

Basics

Time management is essential for K-12 computer technicians given the nature of their job, which often involves multitasking and addressing urgent issues in addition to daily responsibilities. 

When you jump back and forth from one task to another all day long, lots of time gets wasted. Many of us think we are great multitaskers but we are actually good at task- and context-switching. One estimate is that it takes about 15 minutes for most people to get into a state of flow where you are giving your full attention to an activity. 

https://www.wrike.com/blog/high-cost-of-multitasking-for-productivity/

How to Manage Your Time More Effectively According to Machines is a Ted Talk video that speaks to context switching, batching, and spending less time prioritizing and more time doing as an intro to time management.


You should know the following terms:

  • Batch/Batching
  • Buffer time
  • Context switching
  • Pomodoro Technique
  • Multitasking
  • Smart device
  • Task switching
  • Time blocking

As mentioned in the intro, there are several "time wasters" we all get sucked into during the working day. Some examples are:

  • Multitasking relates to trying to do multiple tasks at once but they're not related to the same outcome. Multitasking can also decrease your efficiency. An example is checking and sending email while you are supposed to be paying attention in a meeting. 

  • Task switching is when a task is voluntarily or involuntarily interrupted in order to pay attention to another task. Our brains can quickly move from one task to the other and we don’t even realize it. It is, however, impossible to give focused attention to two tasks at once. Your brain rapidly fires back and forth between the tasks. A good example is watching TV and working on your computer or studying and listening to rock music. Can’t do it, at least not well. One or both tasks suffer.

  • Context Switching is when you are simultaneously involved in two activities. This usually happens when you’re interrupted by someone and have to move to a different task than the one you were working on or when you interrupt yourself to move to a different task that has distracted you.

There are several strategies that can help you organize your time more efficiently:

Time Blocking

Time blocking is a technique where you divide your day into different blocks of time that are dedicated to accomplishing specific tasks. It provides structure to your day, cuts down on less effective multitasking, and can lead to increased productivity and even less stress. You might set aside blocks of time during your day to:

  • Work on the service (help) desk. Schools often set help desk hours to accommodate student and teacher needs. With the help of the administration, you can determine routine help desk hours as well as policies surrounding students or staff requesting help outside of those hours. 

  • Repair computers or send them out for repair. Any repairs that you cannot do immediately will need to be turned in for repair.  

  • Support customers. This includes responding to calls and emails from staff and students who need help on issues that do not involve repair, such as software help, questions about using a technology, or requests for additional hardware or software. Let students and staff know when you are scheduled for support.  

  • Work on a project. If you have a specific project you are involved in such as replacing switches, repairing cabling, or pushing software updates, these projects take time. Set aside the appropriate amount of time to get the job done in a timely manner.

  • Conduct maintenance. Plan blocks of time for routine maintenance tasks such as system updates, equipment checks, and others. 

  • Take a break! It’s important to take breaks mentally and physically. Schedule them in your day, not only for your own physical and mental well-being but to help develop relationships with your staff. 

  • Plan. Schedule time at the end of your day to set up your task list for the next day. 

Regularly evaluate whether your schedule is working, and make changes as needed,  

Setting Timers

Setting timers can help you focus on a task more easily. Sometimes you may even need to close your door and be unavailable to others. 

The Pomodoro Technique is one strategy for using timers to work through a larger task.  It involves the following steps:

  1. Prepare for the work that you’re going to do. Gather all necessary materials. Have tabs open on your computer ready to go. Have a plan for your work. 

  2. Quit your email. Don’t let it distract you.

  3. Silence notifications on your phone, email and any necessary apps. You can even put on an away message so people will know what you are doing. 

  4. Use a Do Not Disturb sign If you have a door. You can do it in a nice way by saying something like, “I’m not available right now. In the middle of replacing screens. Leave me a note and I’ll get back to you.” A small white message board with a dry eraser makes a great tool for that. 

  5. Set your timer and work for 30 minutes without stopping—no disruptions.

  6. Take a 5-10 minute break when the buzzer goes off. Open your door. Check your messages but add action items to your task list. Don’t let email break your flow. 

  7. Then repeat the cycle. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done if you are focused on one task.

You can set the cycle for longer (an hour) but then you should take a longer break (15 minutes). Every fourth 30-minute cycle, take a longer break. 

Task Batching

Batching is a time management technique that involves grouping similar tasks together and completing them in a designated time period. It can help reduce the cognitive load of task-switching and can lead to increased productivity. Follow these steps:

  1. Make a list of all the things you need to get done

  2. Group like tasks together. 

    • Example: If you know you have to repair 10 Chromebooks, set aside a block of time to repair them all at once. If you have 25 to repair and 10 need screens, 10 need to be powerwashed and 5 have miscellaneous problems, set aside three chunks of time: one to Powerwash all the Chromebooks, another to repair screens, and a third to fix miscellaneous problems. This works a lot better than jumping back and forth between powerwashing, repairing a screen, troubleshooting an issue, and checking an extension. 

    • Example: If you know there are several teachers whose whiteboards are not working, go to their rooms before school to get them started at the same time instead of working in the office, going to a classroom, coming back to the office, going back to a classroom, and on and on.

  1. Schedule your tasks and block time for them on your calendar.

Controlling Interruptions and Reducing Distractions

Interruptions can significantly impact productivity and focus, particularly for a K-12 computer technician who requires concentration to solve a variety of problems. When you get ready to sit down to a serious chunk of work, set yourself up for success.

  • Communicate your schedule to others, so they are aware of when you're available for questions or support and when you're focusing on work that requires deep concentration.
  • Establish a quiet place to work where you need to stay focused on the task at hand for a longer period of time. This may be your office, or maybe it's the server room or a room set aside to store parts.
  • Ensure the space is a calming environment. You are  setting the mood to be a place where you like to be and are ready to sit down and work. It should have a comfortable place to sit, maybe even some music you enjoy. The environment can help convince your brain that when you go to that place, you’re ready to work. 
  • Have your materials prepared and ready to go. If there’s any pre-work to be done, have it done and pulled up on your device, ready to go, before you begin your work.
  • Silence and put away devices. Also shut down any website, such as social media, that can become a distraction.

Others will still want to reach out during these times.  Develop strategies to let them communicate without interrupting your work. One idea is using a small erasable whiteboard where people can leave you messages. You can post a note on the whiteboard saying the times you won’t be available and explain why. Ask them to leave a note or to email you, and tell them you’ll be back in touch as soon as possible to get their problem solved. 

Your job is service oriented so know that you will not be able to keep your door closed and turn people away for large chunks of the day. You will need to learn how to create balance while still assuring you have some time when you are not distracted by others or by yourself.  We do suggest that you explain to your administrators and teachers why this is so important and be sure they know that if it’s an emergency, all they need to do is knock on your door. 

Remember, the goal is not to eliminate all interruptions—that's unrealistic—but to manage them in a way that minimizes their impact on your productivity and focus.

Calendaring

K-12 computer technicians often juggle a range of tasks. Effective use of a calendar can be an essential tool in managing these tasks and ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks. Having a digital calendar is convenient because you can view it across a range of devices. 

Here are some tips to consider about using a calendar:

  • Documentation: An accurate calendar becomes documentation of the things you do each day. Events can be edited to track your progress, shared with others when additional help is needed, or simply document the work that you complete. It also helps to track how much your time it took to solve an issue, letting you plan better in the future if the same issue arrises again.

  • Deadlines: Scheduling tasks on your calendar keeps you aware of the deadlines, which is especially important for Must Dos (Priority A or Critical).

  • Reminders: Reminders can be set and customized so you are less likely to forget important events. Most calendars allow you to set multiple reminders.

  • Sharing: If possible, use a calendar system that can be shared and easily viewed by everyone who needs to see your availability.  This allows you to easily share your availability without transcribing open times over into an email or via phone, and it helps prevent scheduling conflicts and double-booking.

  • Use of Multiple Calendars: Keeping multiple calendars (that can be viewed on the same master calendar) allows you to separate the tasks that you want staff to see and from tasks that are for personal use. See this help for Outlook and Google Calendar (or this video).

  • Use of Multiple Colors: Color coding for different tasks can help you quickly glance at events to know where you need to be, what tools you might need, the priority of the task, etc. This can help you quickly understand what type of work your day or week will involve. Use a color coding system that works best for you. 

  • Set recurring events: Many tasks happen in a routine; setting up recurring events for weekly, monthly or even yearly tasks ensure you don't forget them and can better plan in advance for incorporating them into your schedule. 

  • Events for long-range planning: When you know you have tasks that must be done at a certain time of the school year, schedule them immediately. For example, if you plan to collect computers during certain dates at the end of the year, book that so all staff will know. 

  • Schedule "buffer" time: This is extra time that allows for: requests when walking through the building, unexpected issues, last-minute requests, or tasks that take longer than expected. It can also help accommodate travel time between buildings.

  • Schedule your breaks: You also need maintenance, and scheduling breaks and time for lunch ensures you are taking the time for your needs.  It is better to be unavailable for 15 minutes than for several days if you get sick.

  • Planning time: Schedule time at the end of the day to prepare for the next day. You will be less stressed at home after work and be ready for the day the next morning. 

By using a calendar effectively, K-12 computer technicians can better manage their time, stay organized, and ensure that all tasks are handled efficiently and promptly.

Managing Communications

The average worker receives 80-140 emails/texts a day! That takes a lot of time to read, process, respond, or act on.  Emails are often substitutes for what could be done easier with a phone call or better with a face-to-face conversation. 

Determine whether the communication should be by email, text, a phone call, or if it should be delivered in person. The first rule of thumb is, if it’s urgent, go in person. If it requires a long complicated explanation, go in person. When it’s really important, go in person. However, if it needs to be documented, email. Here are some tips for managing your communications throughout the day. 

  • Text/email responses: keep them short.  It needs specific details from you, either make it a scheduled task or talk to the person via phone or in-person.
  • Be succinct and clear: Use language non-"tech" people understand, and be very specific in your needs or directions.
  • Use video: A short screencast will take MUCH less time than typing up an explanation. Likewise, if you are seeking details it may be clearer if the person can provide you with pictures or screenshots as they may not have the knowledge to describe what they are seeing or experiencing.
  • Schedule email as a task: If your team agrees that email is not for urgent communications, turn off email notifications and schedule set times in the day that email is addressed.
  • Use notifications as needed: Notifications can be useful OR a distraction.  Determine when they are useful if you use them, and turn them off at other times.
  • Utilize voicemail: Voicemail allows you to batch process your communications.  You can address voicemails at the same time as email, if you schedule time into your day to address it.
  • Set boundaries with texting: Establish who may text you, and when they should send texts (ie. emergency situations). Adhere to your boundaries, remembering that it is difficult to document texts and requires you to do extra work.

Delegating Work

There never seems to be enough help when it comes to technology in a school building. To offer assistance to technicians, districts have come up with many ways to supplement the role so that technicians can focus on skills-based jobs.

Use of students

Many districts have a formalized plan for selecting students to train as help desk workers. These help desk students, or student technicians, can provide substantial assistance to a K-12 computer technician. Not only can they help lighten the workload, but they also gain valuable hands-on experience that can contribute to their own learning and career development. 

In lieu of a formal help desk program, schools can elect to have technology clubs or teams of students who want to learn to be more technology savvy that are given additional training. These students can help teachers and students in their own classrooms and save help desk visits. Some schools even structure it so that there are students in every block in every grade level that can be available for help in a classroom if needed and if it is not interfering with their own studies. 

Teacher technology champions

Do you have teacher technology champions? Some districts have a tech-savvy teacher available every period or in every department or grade level for technical assistance in case help is needed and the technician is unavailable. 

Use of a district "technology library"

Districts can also provide online resources, including FAQs, user guides, downloadable tip sheets, how-to videos, and tutorials that can help students and teachers solve problems on their own. A culture needs to be built of always looking to the online resources first for it to successfully help technicians reduce workload. The old adage, “Have you Googled it?” can go a long way in solving a problem before contacting the help desk. 

Having additional support in place other than the technician helps ensure that students, staff, and parents have everything they need to ensure the success of students.

Here are additional resources you may find useful:


Complete the following task or self-assessment:

Select the most appropriate task(s) to try for your setting and needs.

  • Develop a Task Management System. It should include a brainstorming component, a master task list, and a system to set weekly and daily objectives. Choose a format that fits your preference, whether digital, paper, or a whiteboard. Implement this process for at least one week.
  • Design a communication management plan to manage and prioritize your work-related emails, texts, and phone calls. This could involve setting specific times to check your messages, using labels or folders to organize your emails, or establishing automated responses for frequently asked questions. Implement this process for at least one week. 
  • Use a timer method (such as the Pomodoro Principle). Learn how to set aside a block of time to work and a block of time for a break. Do this for two weeks.
  • Create a power task list each day for two weeks. Your list should consist of three items to be accomplished that day.

General Reflection

  • What are some key takeaways about time management and organization that you've learned from this module? 

  • Moving forward, how do you plan to incorporate these time management and organizational strategies into your daily routine?

  • What was the most challenging aspect of organizing your time and how did you overcome it?