Saturday, 28 April 2012

Students and Their Time Management


Why is time management for students important? How does healthy time management enrich students’ lives? What type of distractions affect students from managing their priorities?
Fostering positive attitudes towards sustainable and healthy independent time management will enrich students during their primary and middle years and ultimately support them in becoming responsible for their own learning. The International Baccalaureate program is fashioned in this way to ensure the development of global citizens.  This is a primary reason why I chose to join and teach its’ curriculum because it is a tool which I only learned later in life - in university - when I was juggling a variety of different “essential” priorities. 
There are many different ways to review and monitor time whether by a school diary, calendar, or a watch. The students are required to actively use their diaries though usually other methods and practices must be developed to monitor chores and responsibilities. With the advent of technology people can choose between great numbers of ways to manage time but there are even more to distract and deflect it.  Thanks to our blessed life, students are able to have first hand access to the internet, Ipads, Ipods, smart phones, personal laptops, PS3, DS, and other mind-shaping devices and integrate them into the learning process while also having a selected – and monitored – time to play. It becomes a large duty to ensure that these “priorities” are met i.e. being sure they are used. 
In comparison, there are the even more time consuming extra-curricular courses which have seemingly taken over students’ ability to acquire proper and respectful social personas and recognize all of their individual responsibilities. This creates a chaotic situation because the students are unable to prioritize their responsibilities with a clear and mature mind or reflect on why they are in fact required to perform and adhere to these day-to-day activities which most importantly include their religious duties and the Al Jabr academic program.
As the students continue through the program, they will spend more time outside the classroom and become even more familiar with the environment around them while at the same time, their academics will only become more rigorous. It is crucial that the students – right now – develop their own successful and self-sufficient time management routine before their learned unhealthy practices meet them at a point in which they are unable to cope or simply have time to learn new.  Both teachers and parents must foster the development of these skills with the students in order to demonstrate a mutual respect and consideration for all involved. There is a vested interest in the students succeeding in all areas of the integrated program. The studying which is assigned to do at home is not meant to be a burden but rather a determined prerequisite for further learning the next day but the required three-way conference between parents, students, and teachers is an excellent time to further discuss each individual student’s goals and the ways that time is being managed at school and at home to ensure that those goals are being met. 
For further research investigate other blog posts. Learn more about the International Baccalaureate program as well.

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