Strategies and Techniques
Jan Anderson

Time Management
Stress Reduction
Additional Assessment Tools Used by the Licensed Vocational Nursing Program
3x5 Cards for In-Class Discussion


Time Management

1. Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to help students determine where their time is spent and how to better use it.

2. Materials:
There are many tools available to help students identify and analyze time spent on an hourly, daily and weekly basis. A copy of one type of time monitor is included. Also included are copies of "21 Ways to Get the Most Out of Now and "The Seven Day Procrastination Plan", from Becoming a Master Student.

3. Procedure:
In-Class Definition and Discussion of what Time and Time Management are.
Homework of one week to complete a time monitor.
Analysis of time monitor in-class.
In-class reading and discussion of both articles, "21 Ways to Make the Most Out of Now" and "The Seven Day Procrastination Plan" with students making a commitment to try one or two they would like to work on in the next week.
This kind of assignment is best done in groups. Students can help each and support other, make a commitment to each other and may be more willing to really discuss how their time is spent in small groups.
Be sure to see what the outcomes were the next week to encourage them to continue to try, pick a new suggestion to try and reinforce their good work!

4. Examples:
Time Monitor, Discovery Statement to analyze Time Monitor and "21 Ways to Make the Most of Now" and "The Seven Day Procrastination Plan".

5. Resources, Tips and References:
Becoming a Master Student. pp. 40-52, 60-65, 70.
It can be difficult to get students to take this seriously and actually bring the assignment back in a week-obvious ways around that are to give points for successful completion and analysis, it can be a cooperative group project or it can be completed in class for just a day. I like the way the 21 suggestions are written and they can be fun to discuss. I would include this in the cooperative group experience and have each member make a commitment to try one and report back to the group the results and possibly pick another to focus on. It is important to remember that you are an example to the students and must also be organized and time efficient.