Student Services
April 20, 2020
How to be Productive and Have Better Work Habits at Home by Alex Mehr
It’s simple. Working from home, it's harder to be productive Why? There’s less accountability.
There are so many conventions of the office that directly or indirectly hold you accountable. The people around you are working, you have meetings for checking on progress, and even the office space itself is probably tied to your most productive habits.
Your work is less reliant on a routine when you work from home. Instead, it’s self-control that matters most. According to Fast Company’s Kristen Berman, it’s important to give yourself extra checks here and there to make sure you’re working as efficiently and creatively as you can.
Here are Berman’s top hacks:
1. Keep video on for work meetings. When you keep video on for virtual meetings, there are eyes on you. That knowledge, even if it’s a low-stakes meeting with lax etiquette, will remind you to pay attention. You’re less likely to get distracted by your phone, family, or anything else.
2. Set starting and ending times for the work day. 9 to 5 simply might not work like it used to. For plenty of businesses it will, but when virtually all industries have been disrupted, the economy shifts, and the global supply chain is slowed… things change.
If you can, give yourself standardized daily hours. If your work is less reliant on the progress of others, it’s worth experimenting with when you’re most creative and productive during the day. Then, optimize around your own best hours.
3. Post public updates about work progress. Hold yourself accountable by making it a habit to tell about what you did on a daily and weekly basis. Use Slack channels to keep your team updated with your progress.
Some teams have even adopted always-open chat rooms. While trying to keep employees constantly available from home is probably too much, software with voice “rooms” or chats like Slack, Discord, or Microsoft Teams can facilitate updates.
4. Set deadlines. Give everything a deadline. Even if it doesn’t have a formal one from a senior member of your company. Even if it’s a small task that’s of lesser consequence. ANYTHING you’re going to do—give it a deadline!
5. Set back-to-back meetings. Time in between two meetings tends to turn into “break time.” Especially now, since meetings can take a lot out of us when we’re suddenly not used to socializing as much. Kill that dead time by going back to back with meetings—just be sure to prepare for both before the first even starts!
Do whatever it takes to go from traditional accountability to habits of self-control. The more you can turn your days into a cycle of routine, habit, and goal-achieving, the more comfortable you will feel, despite the conditions of quarantine.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - Campus Walk - New Look for April 25th!!
Show us how #KellerCares!
Our first-ever American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) campus walk was scheduled for April 25. In light of our efforts to flatten the curve and prevent the spread of Covid-19, we’re shifting our walk to a digital event that will allow the families of Keller ISD to participate from their homes!
How can you support this effort? Pick one or more of these ways:
· Join or create a team for the event! All you have to do is click here: https://afsp.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.event&eventID=7016
On April 25 we will have an online event with special guest(s) and will review some of the FlipGrid submissions together as a culminating event. We can’t wait to see all the amazing ways our community can show that #KellerCares!
Stay tuned for more information as this event takes shape!
Vaping Forum
Assistant Principal Updates and Information
- Assessment Newsletter https://www.smore.com/1k5j9r
- Registration Training - If you missed the AP meeting Monday at 3:00, you will have another opportunity on Tuesday, April 21st at 9:00. (Calendar appt. from Dustin)
The grade book has been re-opened so that teachers can update any grade changes for the 3rd nine weeks. The report cards will be closed on Friday, May 1 at the end of the day.
- Great resources for families in the areas of counseling and SEL - Updated often
2. Counseling Activities for Families
3. Keller Counseling Support for KISD Staff
- On-line registration for next year will begin the week of April 27th. We will have an admin overview soon.
- Transfer Window ends on May 3rd - please let kinder and first-grade parents know when they inquire during on-line registration.
Aeries - Training Updates
- July 13th is the Aeries, GO LIVE date. The training schedule link is listed below and all courses have been entered in Eduphoria through May 7, 2020. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16RRGUqzIKAdW7R9wkQClvjHNzNWxgiTxXKMwgwWwrHU/edit#gid=0
- Demonstration Sites
http://aeries.com/products/online-demos
http://aeries.com/Training-Support/support-videos
- Administrative training is being planned.
Click SEL image below for the latest SEL Newsletter
Sheltered Instruction Training
Due to Covid-19 limitations, Seidlitz Education is offering free online professional development opportunities which will be accepted for Sheltered Instruction credit 19-20 (links below).
If a teacher decides to complete one of these PDs for SI credit, it is the campus's responsibility to:
1) create the course in Strive ( be sure to select SI credit 19-20 )
2) have the teacher produce a reflection that shows learning and how the learning will impact our ELs
3) Administrator will need to grant credit by May 1st.
https://seidlitzeducation.com/webinar-archive#0515198d-a6dd-4f2d-9d01-69db379b97dc
https://seidlitzeducation.com/cultivating-relationships
https://seidlitzeducation.com/leveraging-els-lang%26envi
https://seidlitzeducation.com/writing-paragraph-frames-1
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
Keisha Gomes
EL Instructional Support Facilitator
Language Acquisition Department
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Contact Us
Joe Baker - Area Director of Student Services X1083
Stephanie Cantu - Student Services Assistant X 1115
Laura Lockhart - Area Director of Student Services X 1105
Email: stephanie.cantu@kellerisd.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/kellerisd.net/student-services
Phone: 817-744-1115