Running Head: TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Time Management Project

Deborah Romig
Virginia Commonwealth University

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Time Management: A Key Component of Leadership Presence

Know thyself, an ancient Greek aphorism, remains both a challenge and an opportunity
for growth leading to increased personal satisfaction and effectiveness. Over the past several
months, leaders in the Virginia Commonwealth Universitys 2017 cohort completed a variety of
activities designed to increase self-awareness in regard to; processing information, solving
problems, making decisions, and working with others just to name a few. A common theme
within the cohort has been time management as each member endeavors to strike a balance
between their professional careers, family obligations, and pursuing their Ed.D degree. The
benefits of effectively managing time is linked to reduced stress, increased creativity, increased
productivity and increased academic achievement. This is the basis for the activities included in
this project; to gain knowledge of how to more effectively manage time for the purpose of
increasing professional effectiveness as well as personal quality of life.
Task A: Personal Goals in Relation to Official Job Description
Professional Goals
My professional goals include both long and short term horizons. Within this school year
2014-2015, my goals include: 1. Improving the student achievement scores for students with
disabilities by ten per cent. 2. Improving the on-time graduation rate for students with disabilities
to 80%. 3. Provide a plan regarding the implications for the one-to-one chromebook student
distribution in 2015-2016 including electronic policy adjustments, pedagogy, assessment, time
lines, and other logistical considerations. Within the next five years my goals include; 1. Create a
model program for at-risk students that includes; acquiring and demonstrating leadership skills,
opportunities for school connectedness, mentoring opportunities, and a dynamic partnership with
the community. All students involved with the program will successfully complete high school in

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

four years and achieve a GPA of at least a 2.0. 2. Create and implement a character development
or emotional IQ program within the county to assist students in obtaining and practicing skills
that will increase their chances of success upon graduating from high school. These skills include
but are not limited to; leadership, resiliency, negotiation, conflict resolution, problem-solving,
taking initiative, and mindfulness, just to name a few. 3. Create another side to the report card
that includes those skills .4. To assist in the creation of a process to hold meaningful, impactful
relational dialogs with all stakeholders, including students, in an effort to make the school
experience more relevant and meaningful in preparing students to be global citizens. 5. To assist
in starting or to start my own school that encompasses the above goals either in the United States
or elsewhere in the world. 6. To successfully complete my Ed.D program through Virginia
Commonwealth University in May of 2017.
I realize that these are not traditional goals however, I do feel that they closely resemble
the function of my current job in its intent. I do not necessarily need to be a building principal to
accomplish these tasks, and I do not see myself as a central office specialist, yet I want to be in a
position to affect change on a building and division level. As an educational leader, I believe that
my task is to challenge the status quo and push the comfort levels of leaders, teachers and
students so growth can occur ultimately leading to an increase in student success.
Current Job Functions
As an assistant principal of Monacan High School, I am responsible for;

Special Education Department

Social Studies Department
World Languages Department
Technology
Fixed assets
Exam guidelines including senior exemptions
Testing

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Senior class
Teacher and student of the year
Back-to-school night
New teacher orientation and support
On-Time-Graduation programs and data collection
Discipline/attendance for students whose last name begins with E through K.

Task B: Comparison between Formal Job Description and Current Responsibilities

Formal Job Description:
Assistant Principal Chesterfield County
Assists principal in directing a Chesterfield County School at the high school level.
Responsibilities include administration of instructional and operational programs and activities;
assisting principal in directing a staff of professional and support instructional personnel. Work is
performed under broad policies and established objectives; decisions/actions impact the entire
system; contacts are regularly and frequently made inside and outside the school system.
Essential Job Functions:

Serves as an instructional leader; reviews and analyzes data to lead the school efforts in

achieving high academic performance for all students.

Serves as an assistant to the principal. Provides leadership and direction to the school
teachers and support staff. Coordinates curriculum development with Instructional
Services, administrators, specialists and teachers. Communicates division wide policy,

procedures, and guidelines to school staff.

Interprets School Board policy, procedure and guidelines to parents and public. Ensures
compliance with existing applicable federal and state statute, policy and guidelines
related to public schools and in particular the operation of programs for the academically
talented and special education. Assists principal in determining staffing needs with the
appropriate Director of Middle or High School Education and the Human Resources

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Department, recommending staffing changes; and participation in the recruitment,

selection, and assignment of the school staff.

Assists in budget preparation and monitoring of school and activity fund budget.
May represent school at meetings, conferences, hearings, and other public forums;

gathers citizen and parental input.

Works with committees of teachers, other assistant principals and principals and lay

persons in specific programs, projects, or courses of action.

Demonstrates commitment to improving professional competence.
Assesses student learning on an ongoing basis and alters instruction to meet

group/individual needs.
Uses the curriculum of the district to plan daily instructional activities.
May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
Considerable knowledge of the principles, concepts and methodologies of school administration;
of instructional program planning; of child growth and development, total school operation and
group dynamics and of related state and federal regulations. Demonstrated ability to interpret and
apply regulations; to plan, organize and administer a public-school and direct and evaluate a
diversified professional staff. Demonstrated abilities in decision-making, problem analysis,
conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, long range planning and forecasting and to
communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Masters Degree in Administration;
eligibility for Virginia Postgraduate license with appropriate administrative endorsement;
experience in teaching and in school administration; or any equivalent combination of experience
and training which would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
Comparison
Many of my current job functions are included in my official job description. My
responsibilities as an instructional leader in my various departments, along with the operational

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

duties such as fixed assets are closely aligned. One of the areas that is not included in the official
job functions are the student responsibilities in regard to discipline, attendance, and subsequent
meetings with parents. In addition to being responsible for the students in my specific alphabet,
all administrators are responsible for implementing school policy with regard to dress, lunch
supervision, hall duty, ensuring all classes are covered with appropriate staff, attending and
supervising extracurricular events.
Task C: Mini Literature Review on Time Management
Article 1: On the relationship between individual creativity and time management
This study explores the relationship between time management behaviors and measures
of creativity. The authors chose these two seemingly unrelated entities because both are essential
to successful personal and organizational success (Bouranta, Moustakis, & Zammpetakis, 2009).
Creativity is considered a key role in the success of entrepreneurship and innovation (Amabile,
1996; Moustakis, & Zampetakis, 2006 as cited by Bouranta, et.al, 2009) while time management
is considered a key indicator of organizational competitive edge (Claessens, van Eerde, Rutte, &
Roe, 2007 as cited by Bouranta, et.al, 2009). The study defined creativity as the production of
ideas or products that are novel, and useful (Amabile, 1996; George, & Zhou, 2001 as cited by
Bouranta, et.al, 2009). Time management is defined as employing behaviors to maximize
productivity and reduce stress (Bouranta, et.al, 2009). The authors propose three types of
behaviors that lead to effective time management; 1) setting goals and priorities, 2) using
mechanics of time management such as creating lists, and 3) preference for organization. The
authors began with some other assumptions; time management and creativity have some
commonalities, one being conscientious planning. Creativity is a function of available time,
negatively related to time pressure, and that creative people use self-regulation strategies to

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complete the most mundane tasks on their lists to have time for more creative work. Results
indicated that effective time management behaviors; planning daily activities, prioritizing them,
and having a confidence in long-range planning are necessary for the development of creative
ideas. Another implication is that to promote creativity, individuals must be given some degree of
autonomy to choose which tasks to plan and schedule. Finally, time management is a valuable
resource for creativity.
Article 2: Strategies for success in education: Time management is more important for
part-time than full-time community college students
The study explores the relationship between time management and grade-point averages
among both part-time and full-time community college students. Rather than taking the usual
approach to college success, that of cognitive ability, this study examines how conscientiousness
is the broad personality trait that leads to the behavioral expression of time management
competencies and ultimately a higher GPA. These time management competencies include;
setting goals, meeting deadlines, using time management aids such as list-making, coping with
change, making plans and effectively organizing ones time (Fogarty, MacCann, & Roberts,
2011). The results of the study indicate that conscientiousness does relate to higher academic
achievement, and that time management strategies are the behavioral manifestation of students
who have a high rate of conscientiousness. However, students with low levels of
conscientiousness can be trained to improve their time management skills increasing academic
achievement. Thus an implication for secondary and higher education is that teaching these skills
is beneficial to student achievement especially among students who are poor time managers.
Additionally, these time management skills are becoming increasingly important for part-time
and mature students who must find balance between family, work, and educational commitments

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

(Fogarty, et.al., 2011). The effective use of time management skills is also important in the
changing global environment as continuing education is becoming more essential to job success,
and in the educational environment as e-learning and virtual teaching replaces traditional
classroom scheduling.
Article 3: Stress Prevention through a Time Management Training Intervention: An
Experimental Study
The study is based on research that indicates stress among college and university students
is higher compared to the stress levels of adults who are nonstudents of the same age range. The
purpose of the study is to examine the effects of a short-term time management program on a
control group of college students comparing their stress levels with a group of similar students
without a systemized approach to time management. In this study, stress is defined by three
major components; a) stressors such as major life events or daily hassles, b) perceived stress such
as reaction to potential stressors with worry and tension, and c) stress outcomes, such as
depression or anxiety. One rationale for this study is the negative effects of stress on memory,
concentration, academic performance, and depression (Hafner, Pinneker, Stock, & Strohle,
2013). The authors hypothesized that better time management would lead to more perceived
control of time; more perceived control of time should lead to less perceived stress and better
performance (Claessens et.al., 2004: Hafner & Stock, 2010; Macan, 1994 as cited by Hafner
et.al, 2013). The time management program used the following elements; prioritizing and goal
setting, strategy development and process simulation, structuring the work day and using
implementation intentions, and monitoring. The article described each process in detail. The
results were as expected, participants in the time management program did not show significant

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increases in tension, or perceived stress. It concluded that a short time management intervention
course can have positive effects on perceived stress and the external demands of college students.
Article 4: Time Management Abilities of School Principals According to Gender: A Case
Study in Selected Gauteng Schools
This study is based on school improvement literatures assertion that the lack of time
management skills among school principals is one of the main factors that lead to principal
inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the school context. The author, R.J.Botha explores the
differences between male and female principals and their approach to time management. The
author defines time management as making endless decisions about what is important and
planning time and resources around those things (Botha, 2013). The first time management
principle is managing oneself. Rather than spending the day in a frenzy of activity, concentrate
on doing the right things at the right time. It includes planning, organizing, scheduling, and
prioritizing. Focus on results by being proactive in thinking about how to use time rather than
just being busy. The author describes five different types of school principals with regard to how
they use their time, The Hopper those who do not complete tasks, Perfectionist Plus use time
to keep track of every detail, Allergic to detail focus on the big picture and leave details to
subordinates, Fence sitters have trouble making decisions, and Cliff hangers wait until the
last minute to complete tasks. The research itself included a self-constructed questionnaire given
to both male and female principals. It consisted of three parts, biographical data, time
management abilities, and the difficulties both male and female principals experienced with time
management. The results indicated that male principals had poorer time management skills but
more likely to take risks, while the female principals had moderate time management skills but
had more trouble making decisions. The study concluded that school principals cannot afford

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10

poor time management skills and that they should prioritize their time, and keep logs to regularly
analyze how they use their time. The author also suggested that setting time limits, planning
ahead, and communicating effectively would play a meaningful role in effective time
management.
Article 5: How to Manage Time with 10 Tips that Work
Rather than a specific study, this article is written by a successful entrepreneur, Dan
Kennedy. He asserts that we live and operate in real time, rather than clock time. He uses
examples such as when you are doing something fun, time flies, or when doing taxes, time drags.
This is good news as real time is more mental than physical and anything that is mental, created
by you, can be managed by you. There are three ways to spend your time, thoughts,
conversations and actions. He then gives ten tips for a more productive day.
1. Carry a schedule and record thoughts, conversations and activities for a week.
2. Any activity or conversation that is important to your success should have a time
assigned to it. Schedule appointments, not to do lists.
3. Plan to spend 50 per cent of your time engaged in thoughts, activities and conversations
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

that produce most of your results.

Schedule time for interruptions.
Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day.
Take five minutes before very call and task to decide what result you want to attain.
Put up a Do not Disturb sign when you have to get work done
Practice not answering the phone just because it is ringing and e-mails just because they

are there.
9. Block out distractions like social media
10. Remember that it is impossible to get everything done. Also, 20 per cent of your
thoughts, conversations and activities produce 80 per cent of your results.
Article 6: Workload and Procrastination: The Roles of Psychological Detachment and
Fatigue

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11

The hypothesis of this study is that there is a connection between workload and
procrastination. The authors also asserted that psychological detachment and fatigue will play
important roles in linking workload to procrastination (Bunk, DeArmond, & Matthews, 2013).
The study is based on research that suggests procrastination is prevalent and problematic (Steel,
2007 as cited by Bunk et al., 2013) and is specifically related to the workplace rather than to
academic venues. The definition of procrastination is to voluntarily delay an intended course of
action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay(Steel, 2007 p. 66 as cited by Bunker et al.,
2013). There is a differentiation between a rational delay process and an irrational delay, thus
further defining procrastination as a negative behavior. The authors further explain that
procrastination is thought to increase when an individual has depleted their reserves of selfcontrol by engaging in challenging tasks and/or tasks that require more self-control. Thus
procrastination may occur more frequently when a person is fatigued. There are four hypotheses
in this study suggesting that psychological detachment from work can help to reduce fatigue and
build up self-control reserves thus reducing levels of procrastination in the workplace. The
conclusions of the study indicate that employers should promote psychological detachment
during nonwork time to promote employee well-being and more effective self-regulation. They
should also re-evaluate work load to determine whether or not the demands of the work on the
employee are realistic. Workload seems to relate more directly to procrastination. More research
needs to be done to determine the effectiveness of detachment on work performance.
Specifically, different types of detachment activities can be explored as well as the emotional
stability of the participants in the studies to determine whether other stress intervention strategies
are needed to increase performance.
Task D: Interview a Practicing Administrator

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12

I interviewed Kathryn Shick, the founding director of Midland Academy of Advanced

and Creative Studies in Midland, Michigan. The school has three focal points; advanced
academics, parental involvement, and character education. It enrolls students from 23 school
districts, 8 Michigan counties, and 22 countries and includes grades K 12. I chose to interview
her because as someone starting a school, time management skills have to be developed to ensure
the success of the school, and because starting a school, whether in America or elsewhere in the
world, has always intrigued me.
Question 1: How do you determine priorities in scheduling your time? Give an example.
I am at a point in my career where I help my staff schedule and prioritize their time. We go
through a series of questions when planning the days activities. Our first priority is the
nonnegotiable deadlines. We take the due date and then back track the activities that must be
done to meet this deadline. We then look at other tasks and determine how long each will take to
complete. We then match priorities with personalities, for example, some people work better if
they tackle the big tasks first and then move on to some of the less time-consuming tasks. This
reduces their stress levels and increases their productivity. Others do better if they are able to
cross multiple things off their list first and then, feeling successful, are able to tackle the bigger
projects.
Question 2: Do you generally spend your time the way others want or the way you want?
She finds that both scenarios are true of her time. It depends on the urgency of the task and if she
is responsible for the entire process. She also must take into consideration timelines from entities
such as the State Board of Education for data, testing, and accreditation requirements.
Question 3: Tell me about a time when you failed to meet a deadline. What things did you
fail to do? What were the repercussions? What did you learn?

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13

The example she gave was when the school implemented a new student database system and
trusted the programmers to set it up correctly in order for it to be used by teachers and staff by a
certain time. She found out later that they did not set up the program correctly and she along with
other staff members had to make corrections which was both time consuming and costly. In the
future, she will always inspect progress during the process to ensure that her expectations are
being met along with the expectations of the staff, parents, and students.
Question 4: Do you spend more than a few minutes to find important papers and
documents?
She has systems in place for emails and mail. She has trained her staff in a screening process that
includes levels of priority. Only certain members of her staff and school board have access to her
direct email and phone. In creating the layers and a screening process, she recognizes that when a
message does reach her, it is fairly important and she finds it is easier to respond immediately
rather than allowing messages to accumulate.
Question 5: Tell me how effective you are on prioritizing tasks and completing projects.
She plans first with her administrative staff. She reviews their task lists and immediately takes
off anything that is considered to be visionary because she feels that those are her responsibility.
She will give them the big picture tasks when she has sufficiently added enough structure to the
vision so it is ready to be delegated. She has a system of prioritizing tasks as 1 3. Each task is
assigned a rating, one being the most urgent, and is also given a plus or minus sign next to it
indicating another layer of urgency. Her staff are very clear about tasks that are urgent, to be
completed immediately, and those that are urgent, but can postponed if a crisis or unexpected
situation occurs. In addition to the labeling of tasks, her staff also circles the tasks that are in

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14

progress and then checks the tasks that are completed. In this way everyone has a visual
representation of the projects consuming the time of each staff member.
Question 6: Do you find yourself spending too many hours in meetings that dont
accomplish very much?
Her answer to this question was very simple. Yes, she used to find herself in those situations;
however as a director of a school, she does not have the luxury of holding meetings with no
accountability. Instead, she thinks about the meeting ahead of time with regard to the cost of the
meeting. She thinks about the hourly salary for each person at the table, reviews that with the
purpose of the meeting, and then decides to either hold the meeting or to find other ways to
accomplish that purpose.
Question 7: In addition to the methods described, how do you typically plan your day to
manage your time effectively?
She actually starts her day between 2 and 4 in the morning. That is the time when she feels she is
the most focused. She typically has her phone next to her bed and will start emailing ideas to
herself because there are no interruptions and her best visionary thinking is done then. She
constantly asks herself questions such as; is there a better way to organize this process, How will
this process move the corporation forward, How can we streamline efficiencies. Does the culture
align with the mission? She views her job as the visionary, providing enough structure to the
vision and then presenting it to the teachers for their feedback and shared ownership. She was
very clear that she does not do the work; she has hired and trained her teachers to implement the
vision and align the culture with the mission statement. Her job is to organize, oversee, provide
resources, mentor, but not to do it. In doing this, she actually becomes more effective and is free
to keep the organization moving forward.
Question 8: How do you handle interruptions in your day?

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15

Since she has already started her day with a period of time for planning and reflection, she is
ready for the interruptions of teachers, parents, and students in her schedule. In fact, these
interruptions provide breaks throughout the day and can lead to some creative ideas or problemsolving. She typically is very task driven so when there is an interruption, she will give a signal
for the person to wait for a moment while she transitions, then she is able to give her undivided
attention to the situation and the person. She has found this strategy effective with staff and
students, however with parents, they typically do not want to wait, indeed get more escalated
when waiting, so she tries to give them attention as soon as possible.
Question 9: What time management strategies do you use when balancing work and
family?
She has three children raised by her and her husband. They are between 25 and 28. Two are still
living at home. They have adopted two other children who are now 13 and 18. She and her
husband are homeschooling the two of them. In the family, everyone seems to work together to
make everything run smoothly. She hires tasks out as much as possible, both her and her husband
do a lot of multitasking, but plan time for family vacations and outings. One of her habits is that
before a vacation, she takes two days to plan down her schedule in order to prepare for time
focused on herself and her family. She encourages her staff to do the same. In this way she is not
spending the majority of her vacation time decompressing from her busy schedule and not
enjoying time with her family. She also sets limits on tasks she does for work so that her family
knows when she is fully available for them.
Question 10: Any other tips that you might share not specifically asked?
Know yourself and your work habits, identify stressors and plan your task list around your
habits. Set limits on your work tasks and plan time for yourself and your family. Remember that
your responsibility to yourself and your organization is in the planning, creation, organizing, and

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16

giving structure to the vision and culture of the school. Use your staff and teachers to share in the
ownership and implementation of the process. You are not paid to staple papers; you are paid to
give that task to the best stapler in the school. Prioritize and plan tasks, inspect the work you
expect of others, and ask questions about how to improve each process.

Task E: Time Management Journal

Monday, September 29, 2014
Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 - 6:40
Time
7:00 7:30
7:30 8:10
8:10 8:15
8:15 8:45
8:45 8:55
9:00 10:00

10:00 10:20
10:20 10:25
10:25 10:55
10:55 11:10
11:10 12:30
12:30 1:00
1:00 1:15
1:15 1:30
1:30 1:50
1:50 2:05
2:05 2:40
2:40 3:15
3:15 4:30

Activity
Get up, do some household
chores and go to gym
Get ready and leave for work
Activity
Monitor halls before school
Administrative meeting
Hallway duty
Monitoring Monacan Morning
Clear hallways
Met with school counselor
about specific students
regarding scheduling,
attendance, and health issues
Classroom Observation
Clear Hallways
Met with AP regarding student
referral
Planning for PSAT day
Lunch Duty
Eat lunch and plan faculty
meeting
Met with SPED depart. Chair
about long term sub
Discussed special ed student
referral
Parent meeting
Bus Duty
Faculty meeting
Administrative debriefing
Talked with teachers who

Classification
Personal
Personal
Classification
Duty
Meeting
Duty
Duty
Duty
Student Issues

Instructional Practice
Duty
Student referral
Planning an event
Duty
Administrative Planning
Teacher Concern
Student referral
Parent contact
Duty
Teacher/admin. meeting
Administrative Planning
Teacher, meetings,

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

4:30 9:00
9:00 10:00

17

dropped by, read and

responded to emails,
Worked at Carrabbas
Ate and went to bed

administrative duties

Activity
Get up, household chores, go
to gym
Activity
Return from gym, get ready
for work, leave
Monitor Halls
Answered questions from
SRO, student and teacher, sent
for two students, absent
Activity
Answered teacher question
about detention
Monitored halls and Monacan
Morning
Spent time with Principal on
the School Improvement Plan
Lunch Duty
Student Issue with dress code
Birthday celebration
Student in crisis
School improvement plan
Student meeting
Bus Duty
Parent phone call
Debriefed with other APs and
plan for next day
Parent phone call
Talked to teacher about
convocation
Organized emails and notes
from day
Worked on Ed.D
Volleyball and dropped of
bank bag
Fed dogs, ate dinner, talked to
friends on phone and fell

Classification
Personal

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
Time
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 7:50
Time
7:50 8:10
8:10 8:50
8:50 11:10
11:10 12:30
12:30 12:40
12:40 12:50
12:50 1:00
1:00 1:35
1:35 1:50
1:50 2:05
2:05 2:15
2:15 2:45
2:50 3:00
3:00 3:30
3:30 4:00
4:00 7:00
7:00 8:00
8:00 10:00

Classification
Personal
Duty
Student Issues
Classification
Teacher Issue
Duty
Administrative
Duty
Student
Administrative
Student
Administrative
Student
Duty
Parent
Administrative
Parent
Teacher
Administrative
Duty
Personal

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asleep
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 7:50
Time
7:50 8:00
8:00 2:30
3:00 4:00
Time
4:00 4:20
4:20 6:30
6:45 8:00
8:30 9:30

Activity
Got up, household chores,
gym
Returned from gym, ready for
work
Monitored hallways
Talked to AP about a referral
Activity
Talked to staff member
MBTI training at Boulders
Debriefed with APs on days
events

Classification
Personal

Activity
Finalized and submitted
assignment for Ed.D
MRI
Jr. Ring Ceremony gave the
speech
Ate dinner, decompressed
from day and went to bed

Classification

Activity
Get up, household chores, go
to gym
Return, get ready for work,
leave
Monitor Hallways
Talked to World Language
Department Chair about
leadership
Talked to teacher about a
student
Talked to students about
homecoming
Monitored hallways and
Monacan Morning

Classification
Personal

Personal
Duty
Student
Classification
Teacher
Administrative
Administrative

Personal
Administrative
Personal

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 7:40
7:40 7:50
7:50 8:10
8:10 8:55

Personal
Duty
Teacher
Teacher
Students
Duty

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

9:00 9:20
9:30 10:30
10:30 12:30

12:30 12:45
12:45 1:15
1:15 2:30
2:30 3:15
3:15 8:00
8 10:15
Friday, October 3, 2014
Time
4:00 5:30
Time
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 8:00
8:00 8:30
8:30 9:00
9:00 9:15
9:15 9:45
9:45 10:00
10:00 10:20
10:25
10:30 11:00
11:00 12:00
12:00 1:50
1:50 2:00
2:00 3:00

19

Meeting with Another AP

Meeting with student and
counselor
Student altercation in a
bathroom
Student referral and random
drug screening
Lunch
Met with AP regarding a
scheduling issue
Drs appointment
Did some personal errands
Class
Social time

Administrative
Student

Activity
Gym
Activity
Return from gym and get
ready for day, leave
Monitor hallways
Phone stolen from one of my
students
Verbal confrontation in
hallway
Social Studies scheduling
change
Parent phone call about a
teacher
Parents came in from
yesterdays altercation in
bathroom
Counselor and scheduling
issues
Testing
Tardy Sweep
Verbal altercation in hallway
Lunch duty
Senior Convocation
Head lice issue
Student panic attack
Bus Duty
Respond to emails, complete
parent contact log

Classification
Personal
Classification
Personal

Student
Student
Personal
Administrative
Personal
Personal
Educational

Duty
Student
Student
Administrative
Parent
Parent
Administrative
Administrative
Administrative
Student
Duty
Duty
Student
Duty
Administrative

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

3:00 4:00
4:00 5:30
5:30 10:00

20

Administration team debrief,

plan for Saturday work
schedule,
Organize desk, emails, etc.
Worked at Carrabbas

Administrative

Activity
Get up, household chores,
gym
Return from gym, get ready
and leave for school
Monitor hallways
Activity
Administrative Meeting
Hall duty and Monacan Morn
Activity
Finish administrative Meeting
Student Discipline Issue
Student issue suspected drug
Hall duty
Classroom Observation
Lunch Duty
Girl fight in bathroom
Bus Duty
New Teacher Meeting
Emails and lunch
Parent phone calls
Meeting with teacher
Emails and organizing from
day

Classification
Personal

Activity
Gym
Return from Gym and get
ready and leave for school
Monitor hallway
Scheduling meeting
Monacan Morning, getting
students set up on Edmentum

Classification
Personal
Personal

Administrative

Monday, November 10, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
Time
7:30 8:10
8:10 8:55
Time
9:00 9:15
9:15 9:40
9:40 10:20
10:20 10:30
10:30 11:00
11:00 12:30
12:30 1:50
1:50 2:00
2:00 2:30
2:30 3:00
3:00 3:30
3:30 4:00
4:00 5:30

Personal
Duty
Classification
Administrative
Duty
Classification
Administrative
Student
Student
Duty
Teacher
Duty
Student
Duty
Teacher
Administrative
Parent
Teacher
Administrative

Tuesday, November 12, 2014

Team
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 8:10
8:10 8:50

Duty
Administrative
Administrative

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

8:50 9:00
9:00 9:50
9:50 10:20
10:20 10:25
10:25 -11:00
11:00 12:00
12:00 12:15
12:15 12:30
12:30 12:45
12:45 1:00
1:00 1:20
Time
1:20 1:40
1:40 2:00
Time
2:00 2:30
2:30 3:00
3:00 4:00
4:00 5:30
5:30 10:00

Clear hallways
Risk assessment
Talked several different APs
about awards, observations,
etc.
Hallway duty
Teacher observation
Lunch Duty
Sub to cover for World
Language teacher
Student conflict
Parent phone call
Set up teacher observations
for ad hoc committee
Teacher observation
Activity
Checked on disruptive class
Bus duty
Activity
TRIBE meeting
Set up new teacher
observations
Talked to teacher
Worked on emails, followed
up on paperwork, etc.
Worked at carrabbas, went
home, ate dinner, bed

21
Duty
Student
Administrative
Duty
Teacher
Duty
Administrative
Student
Parent
Administrative
Teacher
Classification
Administrative
Duty
Classification
Administrative
Administrative
Teacher
Administrative
Personal

Wednesday, November 13, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 7:50
7:50 8:10
8:10 8:50
9:00 9:30
9:30 9:45
9:45 10:00

Activity
Gym
Return from gym, get ready
and leave for school
Monitor and clear hallways
Student issues
Testing Clarification for
remediation purposes
Monacan Morning
Met with world languages
teachers about midterm
Meeting with AP regarding
scheduling
Searched a student for

Classification
Personal
Personal
Duty
Student
Administrative
Duty
Teacher
Administrative
Student

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

10:00 10:20
10:20 10:25
10:30 10:50
10:50 11:20
11:20 12:30
12:30 12:40
12:40 1:50
1:50 2:00
2:00 2:45
2:45 3:15
3:15 4:00
4:00 6:00

potential drugs
Student issue in MOID
program
Hall duty
Meeting with School
psychologist about a
restorative conference
Meeting with counselor
regarding four students
Lunch Duty
Trying to eat lunch
Dealt with four student issues
Bus Duty
Parent Meeting
Counseling meeting
Teacher meeting
Organize from day, emails

22

Student
Duty
Administrative
Students
Duty
Student
Duty
Parent
Administrative
Teacher
Administrative

Thursday November 13, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40
7:00 7:30
7:30 7:50
7:50 8:10
8:10 8:50
9:00 9:30
9:30 10:00
10:00 10:20
10:20 10:25
10:30 10: 55
11:00 12:30

12:30 12:45
12:45 1:30
1:30 1:50
1:50 2:00
2:00 2:30
2:30 3:15

Activity
Gym
Return from gym, get ready
and leave for school
Monitor halls
Three student issues
One Staff member issue
Monacan Morning duty
Testing meeting
Classroom observation
Classroom observation
Hallway duty
Classroom observation
Lunch Duty
Four student issues
Technology issue
Edmentum issue
Student exam exemption issue
Lunch
Classroom disruption
Debriefing with APs
Bus Duty
Student Leadership meeting
Debrief and emails, etc.

Classification
Personal
Personal
Duty
Student
Administrative
Duty
Administrative
Teacher
Teacher
Duty
Teacher
Duty
Student
Administrative
Administrative
Administrative
Student
Administrative
Duty
Administrative
Administrative

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

3:30 8:30

23

Class

Friday, November 14, 2014

Time
3:30 5:30
5:30 6:40

Activity
Gym
Return from Gym, get ready
and leave for school
Monitor hallways
Three student issues
Monacan Morning
Parent meeting
Student issues
Clear hallways
Activity
Teacher Observation
Lunch Duty

7:00 7:30
7:30 8:10
8:10 9:00
9:00 10:00
10:00 10:20
10:20 10:25
Time
10:25 10:50
11:00 12:00

Classification
Personal
Personal
Duty
Student
Duty
Parent
Student
Duty
Classification
Teacher
Duty

Time
12:00 12:15

Activity
Classification
Talk to FC about bulletin
Administrative
boards for student recognition
12:15 12:30
Clear Hallways
Duty
12:30 1:15
Four student issues
Student
1:15 1:30
Technology issue
Administrative
1:30 1:50
Mini pep rally for football
Duty
team
1:50 2:00
Bus Duty
Duty
2:00 2:30
Meeting with English and
Administrative
Sped teachers
2:30 3:30
Follow up on emails, etc.
Administrative
3:30 6:30
Ed.D assignments
6:30 11:00
Football game
Figure 1: Time Logs of two typical work weeks Monday Friday:
Task F: Synthesize Information from tasks A E
Tasks A, & B: Comparison of Current Job Responsibilities with Official Job Description
and Personal Goals
Job Description
Instructional Leader; reviews
and analyzes data to lead the
school efforts in achieving
high academic performance

Current Job Responsibilities

Oversee Testing
Oversee On-Time-Graduation
Rates
Work with Principal on

Observations
Due to a new data base this
year, data collection is
different and seemingly more
cumbersome.

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

for all students

Annual Operating Plan

Works with Department
Chairs on Grade Distribution
Reports

24
I worked with the
administrative team to obtain
an on-line credit recovery
program this year to help with
remediation ultimately trying
alternative approaches for our
at-risk students.
Data Analysis is a weak point
within our administrative
team.

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Job Description
Serves as an assistant to the
principal. Provides leadership
and direction to the school
teachers and support staff.
Coordinates curriculum
development with
instructional services,
administrators, specialists and
teachers.
Communicates division-wide
policy, procedures and
guidelines to school staff

Current Responsibilities
Oversee the following
departments;
Special Education
World Languages
Social Studies
Oversee New Teacher
Orientation
Oversee technology
Oversee Discipline and
attendance for students with
last names E K.

Interprets school board policy,

procedure and guidelines to
parents and public.
Ensures compliance with
existing applicable federal and
state statute, policy and
guidelines and in particular
the operation of programs for
the academically talented and
special education.
Assists principal in staffing
needs, recommending
changes, and participation in
the recruitment, selection and
assignments of the school
staff.
Assists in budge preparation
and monitoring of school and
activity fund budget.

Oversees Special Education

Department
Meets regularly with parents
Assists in the hiring process
and in development of teacher
directed support plans when
needed.

Represent school at meetings,

conferences, hearings, and
other public forums, gathers
citizen and parental input
Works with committees of
teachers, other assistant
principals and principals in
specific programs, projects, or
courses of action.

Due to discipline issues,

represent school in court,
Represent school at various
meeting
Worked with various ad hoc
committees of teachers on
revamping Monacan Morning
and currently working with a
technology ad hoc committee

Regularly sign checks,

approve purchase orders
Take bank bag for deposit

25
Observations
Communicating best practices,
curriculum pacing, revised
SOL tests, benchmark tests,
including mid-term exams,
etc. are just some of the ways
I serve as a liaison between
the central office specialists
and the teachers.
I also work with the
technology integrator to
ensure that those requirements
are met in terms of training
and incorporating technology
into instructional practice.
These align.

I do not have a big picture

understanding of the budget
process and have not been
given access to the budget
software.
These are aligned.

I believe there is more to be

done to partner with
community members

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

Job Descriptions
Demonstrates commitment to
improving professional
competence.

Assesses student learning on

an ongoing basis and alters
instruction to meet
group/individual needs

Current Responsibilities
Currently working on Ed.D,
Communicate opportunities
for teachers to attend
Professional Development
within and outside of the
county,
New Teacher Orientation
includes an opportunity for
new teachers to observe
colleagues
Oversees testing
Attends PLC meetings and
reviews agenda items
including assessments.

Uses the curriculum of the

district to plan daily
instructional activities

Teacher observations.

May perform other duties as

assigned

This is where other duties

such as the daily operational
needs of the school are
included.
-Discipline and attendance for
students with last names
beginning with E K.
-Teacher and student
recognition Programs
-Development of Community
and Parental support through
activities such as Scheduling
fairs, specialty center
informational meetings, backto-school nights, etc.
-Crisis and safety plans, drills
-Compliance with local safety
codes

26
Observations
These are aligned

This part of the formal job

description does not make
sense as it seems to be more
teacher-directed. I can oversee
this process and observe it
during regular observations,
but do not have direct
responsibility for student
assessment and instruction.
My comments on this
particular Job Function are
similar to those above. I do
not have direct responsibility
to teach students although I
am able to guide teachers to
correct use of curriculum and
plan daily activities.

These items may be

considered under other
duties, however the amount
of time they constitute and the
impact on the school culture
warrants them to be listed
separately.

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

27

-Supervision of student
activities including athletic
events, fine arts events, and
club activities.
Figiure 2: Graphic Organizer to compare official Job Description with Current Responsibilities
and observations about differences.
Task C: Mini Literature Review
Time Management

Components of Time
Management

Benefits of Time
Management

Psychological
Implications

Set Goals and

Prioritize

Increased Creativity

Manage perception of
time at a mental level
first.

Use Aides such as

Creating Lists
Plan, organize and
structure day, include
time for interruptions

Increased achievment
and productivity
Reduced Stress

Include time to
psychologically
detach from work

Figure 3: Mind Map Frame organizing concepts of time management mini-literature review
Task D: Interview a Practicing Administrator

R: Know your role within the organization

S:

Systemize processes as it reduces decision-making and frees time

V:

Value your time, supervise the work

P:

Plan tasks around your work habits and stressors, plan for interruptions

G:

Give vision a structure, than give the vision to the stakeholders

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

M:

28

Mentor others to duplicate your habits so you can help each other stay on track

Q:

Question how to make processes and programs more effective

Figure 4: Mnemonic summarizing concepts learned from Interview with an administrator.
Task E: Time Management Journal

Figure 5: Pie Chart summarizing time log categories of work weeks see Figure 1
The process of creating and maintaining a time log was very arduous, but extremely helpful in
revealing to me where the majority of my time is spent during my school day. Even though my
official job description includes an emphasis on instructional leadership, those are not the
activities that consume the majority of my time. I was also surprised by how much time I spend
monitoring hallways, lunches, buses, and Monacan Mornings. There is no time for planning or
organizing tasks which I sometimes do at the end of the day for the next day. It was also
exhausting typing the time log because of everything that happens during the day. A simple walk
from one hallway to another can include 2 6 stops along the way answering questions, solving
a problem, or chatting with a teacher or student creating a stronger relationship. Those are
difficult to log, but necessary as I create a plan of improvement for a more effective time

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

29

management process. Doing some self-reflecting, I also believe that I have not created a time
management plan for my position of Assistant Principal even though this is my fourth year in the
position. I am still relying on methods I used as a teacher which are no longer as effective. This
leads into my final task, creating a personal improvement plan.
Task: G: Improvement Plan
Behavior
1. Check MindSet

Specifics for Implementation

-My thoughts: I can manage my time
-My thoughts: I have enough time to do what is
most necessary
-Each day set 2-3 attainable goals for the day
-One of the goals MUST be about instruction
-Goals should be set the afternoon before each
day.
-Consciously think about each activity and
question if this is the best use of my time
-Number activities 1 3 in order of priority
-Place a + or after each activity to indicate
sense of urgency
-Use a O to indicate task in progress and a \ to
indicate completion.
-Make enough time for interruptions
-Make 2 3 tasks under each goal and use
priority system for each
-Do what is your role, supervise, and delegate
whenever possible
-Use resources, people want to help and it will
give them more ownership of the process
-Use tools such as do not disturb signage
-Make time to detach from work to increase
productivity and reduce procrastination
-Make time for creativity, questioning how to
make improvements, and how to move the
organization forward.

2. Set Goals

3. Prioritize activities

4. Plan
5. Delegation

6. Value your time

Figure 6: Table describing improvement plan

Conclusion
Time management is essential to being an effective administrator. There were several
important concepts that I have learned from this project. The first is that the time management

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

30

strategies I used as a teacher do not transition effectively into an administrative role. The second
is that setting goals before leaving the office each evening will help in creating a more
productive day. Setting aside more time for instructional activities such as classroom
observations, instructional conversations, and brainstorming more effective classroom
engagement activities should be my priority. Focusing on the activities within my sphere of
responsibility will also increase my effectiveness and the school culture. Equally important is
scheduling time to psychologically disconnect from my work as an educator and pursue other
interests to decrease procrastination behavior and increase satisfaction within my role as an
educational leader.

TIME MANAGEMENT PROJECT

31
References

Botha, R.J. (2013). Time management abilities of school principals according to gender: A case
study in selected Gauteng schools. Africa Education Review, 10.(2), pp 364 380. doi:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18146627.2013.853532.
Bouranta, N., Moustakis, V., Zampetakis, L. (2009). On the relationship between individual
creativity and time management. Thinking Skills and Creativity 5. pp 23 32. doi:
In10.1016/j.tsc.2009.12.001.
Bunk, J., DeArmond, S., Matthews, R.A., (2014). Workload and Procrastination: The roles of
psychological detachments and fatigue. International Journal of Stress Management
21(2). pp 137 161. doi: 10.1037/a0034893.
Debolt, D., Mathews, J., Percival, D., (2014). How to manage time with 10 tips that work.
Entrepreneur Press October 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.entrepreneur.com/articcle/219553.
Fogarty, G.J., MacCann, C., Roberts, R.D. (2012). Strategies for success in education: Time
management is more important for part-time than full-time community college students.
Learning and Individual Differences 22. pp. 618-623. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2011.09.015.
Hafner, A., Pinneker, L., Stock, A., Strohle, S., (2013). Education psychology: An international
journal of experimental educational psychology. Educational Psychology 34(3). pp. 403416. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2013.785065.