It's a new year and what better time to get organized? San Francisco Project Read provides these tips for helping learners manage their time.
- Discuss when high and low energy times are and then encourage your learner to use high energy times to study more difficult work.
- Study in doses. Encourage your learner to reward him/herself after a predetermined amount of reading, writing, or reviewing.
- Maintain a regular place and time to study both in and out of sessions.
- Use index cards and calendars to get control of your time. A large monthly calendar that you can easily see each day is very useful. Or use index cards for copying your daily schedule, and keep them nearby.
- Make it a habit to check your calendar and daily lists each morning.
- To set aside time for long-term projects, count backward from the due date and estimate how much time will be needed. Always allow more time than you think you will need.
- Encourage your learner to keep his/her tutoring session schedule in a place where it won't get lost in a wallet or a notebook used in the tutoring sessions.
- Think of time that isn't scheduled for anything and use it! Encourage your learner to review his/her assignments, or do additional/independent reading or writing.
- When conflicts arise that interfere with tutoring time, discuss what's important. Learn to set priorities.
- Remember to write down everything you need for your session: pens, pencils, paper, binder, books, tapeswhatever it may be. Check the list daily so that nothing is forgotten.
Got an idea for a Tutor Tip of the Month? Let us know!