Managing Your Internal Inbox
One year.....a lot can change in one year.......the last time I wrote anything on this blog was EXACTLY one year ago, TODAY. Before I even write anything more I want to give thanks.
To every educator across the country pouring your heart and soul into your students - THANK YOU. You are always going to remember this group of students. Five, ten years years from now as your students look back on this experience - they may or may not remember a remote learning assignment. They are absolutely going to remember you - their teacher. They are going to remember how much you cared, they are going to remember the comfort you provided, they will remember the sense of normal you provided during the not normal time, they will remember you brought classmates together - to share the forts they built, their pets, or their experiences at home. Most importantly, they are going to remember you for being there for them. And, you won't ever forget this group of students. As you reflect, you will come to recognize they were their for you at a time you needed them as well. Thank you my colleagues! I am moved daily by the stories I see and hear about the work being done to serve through education during these challenge times.
To every doctor, nurse, health care provider, grocer, cashier, stocker, truck driver, sanitation personnel, postal worker, and everyone one working to support all people - THANK YOU.
What prompted me to login and write today? Our Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass facilitated a remote learning session this afternoon entitled "Getting Control of Your Inbox (And Life). Feeling my inbox has been flooded since moving to remote learning I was intrigued to tune in. I've long kept folders to help my manage emails. This could be email folders for individuals, grade level teams or emails I receive from parents or vendors. What was new learning for me was the folder system Dr. Glass has for managing responses to emails. The leveled priority response system was a big takeaway for me and something I am going to look to implement. Good ideas were shared about creating a schedule and the work environment at home. I'm glad I was able to fit the session in as it gave me something to support my work, inspired me to write again, and pushed me into much deeper reflection which I will write about next.
There came a time in the session where the participants could ask a question or offer suggestions. The question I wanted to ask everyone in the room was "how are you managing your internal inbox?" Not your outlook or gmail - how are you managing what information is coming into YOU?
We are moving here in our district towards the one month mark since moving to remote learning. Like most, as I settled in at home I fell into habits. Two known habits of mine are utilizing Twitter and watching cable news. Increasingly over the last week, whether it's been my Twitter feed or what is shared on cable news, the emotions and rhetoric are running higher.
I bring this up as what you give your attention to, you give your energy to. Not everything that gets your attention deserves your attention. What you think influences what you say to yourself, which produces the emotional state that impacts you and others. It's easy to blame people, or platforms, or the media. They don't capture your attention. The truth is anything that has your attention is because you gave it your attention. How do we regain control of our life both internally and externally? We control the distribution of our attention. The reality is where your attention goes, so does your mind, emotions, and experiences.
There are some key questions to ask, especially in times of uncertainty and stress:
What have I done to manage my internal inbox? Cable news at my house. I don't watch it anymore. Political messages that appear from people I follow on Twitter or Facebook - it's either a mute or an unfollow. My focus is on helping people and my family right now. Opinions about who is politically right or wrong do not serve that mission.
Time is invaluable. It's our most precious non-renewable resource. Managing what we give our attention to protects our time and helps prevent our energy from being spent on distractions that don't serve us or others.
Find and Focus on what matters.
Filter out the rest.
CJ
To every educator across the country pouring your heart and soul into your students - THANK YOU. You are always going to remember this group of students. Five, ten years years from now as your students look back on this experience - they may or may not remember a remote learning assignment. They are absolutely going to remember you - their teacher. They are going to remember how much you cared, they are going to remember the comfort you provided, they will remember the sense of normal you provided during the not normal time, they will remember you brought classmates together - to share the forts they built, their pets, or their experiences at home. Most importantly, they are going to remember you for being there for them. And, you won't ever forget this group of students. As you reflect, you will come to recognize they were their for you at a time you needed them as well. Thank you my colleagues! I am moved daily by the stories I see and hear about the work being done to serve through education during these challenge times.
To every doctor, nurse, health care provider, grocer, cashier, stocker, truck driver, sanitation personnel, postal worker, and everyone one working to support all people - THANK YOU.
What prompted me to login and write today? Our Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass facilitated a remote learning session this afternoon entitled "Getting Control of Your Inbox (And Life). Feeling my inbox has been flooded since moving to remote learning I was intrigued to tune in. I've long kept folders to help my manage emails. This could be email folders for individuals, grade level teams or emails I receive from parents or vendors. What was new learning for me was the folder system Dr. Glass has for managing responses to emails. The leveled priority response system was a big takeaway for me and something I am going to look to implement. Good ideas were shared about creating a schedule and the work environment at home. I'm glad I was able to fit the session in as it gave me something to support my work, inspired me to write again, and pushed me into much deeper reflection which I will write about next.
There came a time in the session where the participants could ask a question or offer suggestions. The question I wanted to ask everyone in the room was "how are you managing your internal inbox?" Not your outlook or gmail - how are you managing what information is coming into YOU?
We are moving here in our district towards the one month mark since moving to remote learning. Like most, as I settled in at home I fell into habits. Two known habits of mine are utilizing Twitter and watching cable news. Increasingly over the last week, whether it's been my Twitter feed or what is shared on cable news, the emotions and rhetoric are running higher.
I bring this up as what you give your attention to, you give your energy to. Not everything that gets your attention deserves your attention. What you think influences what you say to yourself, which produces the emotional state that impacts you and others. It's easy to blame people, or platforms, or the media. They don't capture your attention. The truth is anything that has your attention is because you gave it your attention. How do we regain control of our life both internally and externally? We control the distribution of our attention. The reality is where your attention goes, so does your mind, emotions, and experiences.
There are some key questions to ask, especially in times of uncertainty and stress:
- What am I thinking? What thoughts are occupying my mind?
- What am I giving my attention to?
- What am I saying to myself?
- What emotional state is being produced by what I am giving my attention to?
- What is the impact on me and the people around me?
What have I done to manage my internal inbox? Cable news at my house. I don't watch it anymore. Political messages that appear from people I follow on Twitter or Facebook - it's either a mute or an unfollow. My focus is on helping people and my family right now. Opinions about who is politically right or wrong do not serve that mission.
Time is invaluable. It's our most precious non-renewable resource. Managing what we give our attention to protects our time and helps prevent our energy from being spent on distractions that don't serve us or others.
Find and Focus on what matters.
Filter out the rest.
CJ
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