Chirali Jain is the Founding Member and Head of Product at ByDesign. She is passionate about design and technology.
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High school is no joke these days. A whirlwind of responsibilities—including homework, extracurricular activities and even a job—can leave many teenagers feeling overwhelmed or disorganized. In the middle of all this, one key skill that can separate the students merely surviving from those thriving is time management.
I believe developing organization and solid time management skills should be a priority from day one of high school. Why? These skills can help students now and continue serving them for decades to come. In the professional world, the ability to juggle multiple tasks, meet deadlines and effectively prioritize is crucial. Employees who struggle with time management and disorganization can quickly become overwhelmed, make careless mistakes and fail to achieve their goals. However, those who have honed skills like calendar and to-do list management, as well as focused work habits, can operate with efficiency and poise under pressure.
Too often, I've found people assume time management is just a given skill that someone will pick up on their own. But just like math, science and other academic abilities, I believe organizational skills must be explicitly taught, modeled and reinforced. Leaving it up to chance could result in some students slipping through the cracks.
As someone who has created a productivity and community-building tool for schools, I've witnessed firsthand how transformative strong time management skills can be, especially when developed early. So, how can education leaders and teachers start instilling these skills early on?
1. Make it a priority.
Consider making time management and organization a core part of what students learn, not just an occasional motivational chat. One suggestion is to build dedicated lessons, workshops and real practice into required classes across grade levels. Treat it as an academic skill instead of an afterthought.
2. Provide structured tools.
Go beyond simply preaching the importance of planners and to-do lists. Offer specific systems and strategies teens can use, such as calendar apps, task managers, note-taking methods, etc. The more structured, the better. If schools opt to provide organizational tools and apps, ensure all students have access to accounts and subscriptions.
3. Get other educators on board.
Too often, I've found poor time management gets written off as laziness. Recognize that organization is a skill that requires teaching, modeling and coaching. From my own experiences working with educators, I've found professional development is key to getting teachers on board with treating time management as a learnable skill rather than an inherent trait.
Host training sessions where you explore the research and science behind productivity as a skillset; I've seen this make a big difference. I also suggest highlighting real student success stories. Hearing firsthand how developing these abilities impacted students' self-confidence, grades and overall well-being can illustrate the benefits to teachers.
4. Lead by example.
Having teachers model time management strategies themselves and make their processes transparent to students can be effective. For example, in my company, we have a recurring "Productivity Power Hour," where I record a video narrating how I prioritize my own tasks and schedule for the week, and then I share it with my team. For educators, something similar could be highly impactful. Share your own carefully planned weekly calendar or a video walkthrough of how you timeline all upcoming assignments and tasks.
5. Incentivize students.
I believe our culture too often praises the relentless all-nighter as a badge of honor. Instead, celebrate and incentivize the students who exemplify focused efficiency, routines and work-life balance. Schools can offer awards or certain privileges to recognize and reward students displaying exceptional time management and organizational abilities. Even low-cost incentives like being able to leave class five minutes early could help motivate students.
Time management is key in academic and professional settings.
Effective time management can help students allocate adequate time to study, which could lead to a better understanding of concepts and higher grades. With better organization and prioritization, students can also learn how to manage their workloads more efficiently and carve out time for extracurricular activities, hobbies and personal interests, leading to a more balanced lifestyle. These skills can ultimately better prepare them for the future. Mastering time management in high school sets students up for success in college, their careers and beyond, where similar skills are essential for thriving in a fast-paced world.
As a result of teaching time management, schools might also see improvements in student performance. Furthermore, focusing on these skills can foster a culture of accountability, responsibility and achievement among students, thus contributing to a positive learning environment.
In conclusion, time management isn't just a skill; it's a cornerstone of success. By integrating it into the curriculum and fostering a culture that celebrates efficiency, educators can equip students with the tools they need to thrive in high school and beyond.
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