SYSTEMS

When I read Scott Adams' book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big about a year ago, I don't know that I appreciated what he had to say about systems being more important than goals. 

But it has grown on me in such a way that I don't even know now if this wording is his or mine: goals without systems are just wishful thinking. It is systems that will get you to your goal, and maybe even beyond.

One of my goals for this school year is to be more organized. There is so much to keep track of - lesson planning, copying, attendance, late work, grading - and I am not a natural born multi-tasker.

Here are three things I am learning about systems.

Sometimes systems can be a quick, one-time fix. 

I brought in a nice table that Melissa and I have had for years but we don't currently have space for at home. It was in the shed in the backyard. Now it gives me a place to keep all my papers and supplies handy for class right up front where I need it. 

Sometimes good systems can easily be borrowed from others.

I hate having to deal with classroom discipline issues - doling out detentions is unpleasant and creates extra work for me. This year, I adopted the system some of my co-workers had already found successful - making the students give up their cellphones when they enter class. This results in dramatically fewer incidents of taboo cellphone use during class - texting, cheating, taping, gaming, etc.

I put my own spin on this system with a retro-fitted classic Coke bottle box for collecting the phones just inside the classroom door.

Sometimes systems are daily habits that need to be created from scratch.

I have a real difficult time shifting gears between classes and between days. When a student walks in and asks, "What did I miss yesterday?", my brain locks up. I have found "I have no idea!" is not an acceptable answer.

I found cheap dry erase boards at Target and stuck magnets on the back. Each day I write a basic outline of classroom activities for my various preps. These I keep on the front board. At the end of the day I move them to the board at the back of the room. 

I have enough of these panels to keep track of an entire past week. 

This practice, more than anything, has taught me the value of systems. This is because, while this system most definitely solves the original problem I designed it for, it is also showing potential for accomplishing other worthy, but unintended objectives:

• It is helpful for students and has eliminated a question that has always grated on my nerves: "What are we doing today?"
• It makes it easy for me to loop back and review/reinforce previous lessons.
• Most importantly, it is giving my teaching more of a sense of direction by keeping the recent days' work always in my vision.

Systems are much more important than goals.