www.meyerslearningcenter.com organize your life: strategies for educators the diane spicer memorial...

www.meyerslearningcenter.com

Organize Your Life: Strategies for Educators

The Diane Spicer Memorial Lecture Series Spring, 2011

Ali Zidel Meyers, MSW

This presentation is copyrighted by Ali Zidel Meyers (2011).

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In an ideal world…• How many of you work

with students who are impeccably organized?

• Who has a student who never loses anything…EVER?

• Who here has never lost a cell phone, keys, or an important document?

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Reality…

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Welcome

• Why organizational skills – The struggles are real, and so are the benefits.– Learning and Life Skills

• Caveats:– No silver bullets– Process vs. content– Help yourself: an a la carte presentation

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6 Questions(There will be a quiz!)

Questions I will ask you to answer at the end (no need to write these down):

1. Name a thought process involved in organizing.2. What’s the best method for organizing?3. What are the two cornerstones of organization?4. Give an example of an organizational tool.5. How do educators teach organizational

behavior?6. What can be done to address organizational

challenges?

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Why it’s a big deal:Organizational thinking

Why can organization be such a challenge?• Cognitive skills required for organization—

before action even happens!• Brain/thought processes involved in

organizing:• Categorization• Sequencing• Prioritization

• Where and when does this happen in the brain?

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Organization and the Brain

Source: American Health Assistance Foundation, http://www.ahaf.org/alzdis/about/AnatomyBrain.htm

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Why it’s a big deal:Organizational thinking

• Developmental factors: – what is age-appropriate (wide range)– what takes years to develop– what we do that we take for granted, as

adults

• Cultural context: VROOM!!!! accelerate the developmental pace, warp-speed, information, expectations

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How to organize your life…• “The secret’s in the system.”• The key to organization is not so

much in a magical type of system, but in making and maintaining an effective system for you.

• The best method, bottom line? Create a system that works for you, and USE IT.

What’s the best method?

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How to organize your life: Organization Demystified

• Two cornerstones of organization:1. Structure

2. Habit (regular actions)

• The best organizational system is the one that is most effective for you.

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– How to Organize: Tools for Structure and Habit-Building

– Organization and Student Challenges

– Plan of Attack: for getting started or for breaking big difficulties into smaller piece

How to Organize

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How we teach organization to our students

– Role modeling: They watch what you do, and they do as you do.

– Direct instruction: Show and teach new skills directly.

– Limit-setting: Define/communicate boundaries.

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How we teach organization to students

Role Modeling• The Ping-Pong Program:

– Play ping-pong for 12 hours and lose 1lb– Examine and address ping-pong tactics in your life. (mail and

laundry—two of my favorites)—kids can observe and adopt

• Practice building effective structure and habits:– Organize in baby steps regularly: use a key dish; tackle a junk

drawer, de-clutter a section of a closet or a cabinet each week– Weekly weed-outs/daily tune-ups: dump out your purse, wallet,

briefcase and de-clutter. Make weeding-out a regular family ritual.

– Have a Purge Party or a De-clutter Contest.

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How we teach organization to our students

Direct instruction: Ask, show, tell. • Osmosis works in biology but not for teaching

organization skills!• Kids who struggle with organization need new

behaviors spelled out directly (and reiterated) in ways that match their learning styles.

• Asking questions helps guide your students to realize, own, and internalize their learning.

• Start early and practice constantly.

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How we teach organization to students, parents

Limit setting: Helping kids understand what’s okay and what’s not…boundaries

• Publish your Priorities: Decide on priorities and make them known (personal safety, school work, personal space, communal space)– CLEARLY define limits and maintain them as non-

negotiables.

• Do not give up; it will register (maybe not right now, but later…)– The boy who could not see the floor of his room

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Teaching organization through limit-setting:

• Consider everything students may consider a birthright… • Cell phone time• Computer access• Video Gaming

• Contextualize: these are privileges, not rights. Limits should be placed around them. Teach students how these can become time monsters…

• A bliss list or “time tokens” can be used to reinforce the notion of working hard, then enjoying free time.

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Why: organizational challenges– Mental and behavioral processes required for

organization are complex.• These processes take years to develop.

– Difficulties can stem from:• Hardwiring (often associated with ADD, ADHD,

executive functioning, NVLD, ‘out-of-box’/creative thinkers—think of innovative inventors)

• Genetics• Ingrained habits that need transformation• Limit-testing and seeking: changing/challenging limits• Falling in: mental traps

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Beware of Mental Traps

• The School Picture Makeover• Magic Wand Mentality• A More realistic view:

The Five Stages of Change 1. Pre-contemplation2. Contemplation3. Preparation4. Action5. Maintenance (from Prochaska and DiClemente)

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What can we do? Problem-solving

Come back to basics: – Consciously practice role modeling, direct

instruction, and limit-setting– Work on incremental change through your

structure and habits (as well as your child’s)– Problem-solving

• Involve students in problem-solving around organization issues

• Collaborate with colleagues

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Your job is to create the conditions…

Be a farmer …not a fly

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Reminders for trouble-shooting

• Ask yourself: have I been a farmer or a fly? …Work to create solutions that really fit. Your answers may not be the right ones for this particular student.

• Feeling off track? Return to problem-solving.– Collaborative problem-solving with the student

provides a roadmap

• Habit modification: Any kind of behavioral change takes time, effort, and lots of practice.

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7 Questions(Time for a quiz!)

1. Name a thought process involved in organizing.2. What’s the best method for organizing?3. What are the two cornerstones of organization?4. Give an example of an organizational tool.5. How do parents teach organizational behavior?6. Why do organizational difficulties arise?7. What can be done to address organizational

challenges?

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Final Words

• Change takes time. Have faith in yourself and your students.

• You may not get thank-you notes, but your efforts will bear fruit in their own time…open yourself up to that.

• The real moment of success is not the moment apparent to the crowd. - George

Bernard Shaw


Questions?Organize Your Life:

Strategies for Educators

Diane Spicer Memorial Lecture Series

Spring, 2011

Ali Zidel Meyers, MSW

This presentation is copyrighted by Ali Zidel Meyers (2011).

www.meyerslearningcenter.com organize your life: strategies for educators the diane spicer memorial...

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