In the good words of an old friend Hootie and the blowfish - time can be a tricky thing to master, especially when you're 14, social, and surrounded by 30 of your friends.
The research phase of our process is coming to an end by now the students have to work on writing their genre pieces. The will have plenty of class time to do this but they have to manage their time well to get it all done. Before they started working in class today I asked each student to write down a one or two sentence goal of what they wanted to accomplish in today's class period. At the end of class I asked how many had reached their goal and about 75% raised their hands...not a bad start.
Here are a few tips that can help your teenager manage their time:
1) Make a list of goals or a to do list: I find that I feel so accomplished when I have a list in front of me and I complete each item on my list, crossing it off as I go. A list will help your children stay focused on the task at hand and they will also feel motivated to continue when they see their list being crossed out.
2) Set a Timer: I always tell the kids that if they need to work on their papers at home they should set a time limit. Set the oven timer for 10, 15, or 20 minutes. When kids have the pressure of knowing they only have a certain amount of time to finish something they will work twice as hard to finish on time. It's also nice for them to know that they only have to stay focused on writing for a certain time period. This is why I can give students 3 weeks to write a paper and they dilly dally but the night before they have it done in a few hours!
3)Use a calendar: Sometimes it's easier to break larger jobs into small pieces. Have a large calendar somewhere in the house or the child's room and break down each task. Monday: 10 minutes of research, Tuesday: Write introduction, etc.
4)Reward yourself: I used to do this in graduate school when I had a deadline to meet. I would think of something I wanted and wouldn't let myself have it until my task was complete. For example, I wouldn't go get ice cream from the freezer until I wrote at least three pages. After those three pages were done the ice cream was mine! It sounds funny but it worked for me!
5)Find a setting that works for you: Some people need total quiet to work, others can work with an ipod in their ears. Music may seem noisy to you but to your kids it might help them concentrate and use their time wisely.
These tips could be applied to other areas as well - household chores, etc.
Remember no matter which type of clock you use (I like the toast clock myself) - Time is on your side!
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