What next?

As one might guess from the title of my first post, I enjoy traveling. In fact its one of my passions in life. I think travel is often the best educator of all. I routinely encourage the students in my classes to "get out" and live. Well I think it is safe for me to start the count down for a couple upcoming trips. In just over a week my wife and I will be accompanying our daughter to college orientation. It is a trip because she will be matriculating 4 hours from home. I find myself looking forward to returning to the campus I have only visited once and becoming more familiar with it and the area.

What I am really anticipating though is our annual family trip. It may be our last one as she goes off to college and my son approaches his junior year...although I hope not. Many of our fondest memories have to do with our travels around the world. This time we venture west again. I so look forward to introducing my kids to some of my favorite National Parks--after this trip they will have seen almost all of America's great public lands. It was my trip to Rocky Mountain NP as a boy that began my unrequited love affair with mountains, so I hope they love it as I have. We will explore the Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky. I am so excited to get "on the road again" I find it hard to concentrate on what I must do at home over the next few days. :)

We live in a world of interruptions. Unless we escape the modern world and live in the Swiss Alps with Heidi we will always be subject to interruptions. How do we deal with them? As a teacher I can't ignore them as they are often the direct result of students--my "kids"-- needing help. Ah, but wait there are distractions I can do something about as I try to be a more effective time manager. I find one of the greatest time stealers, if you will, is the phone. My phone can be a great tool and help, but only IF I control it and not the other way around. An effective habit for me is leaving it turned off and in my briefcase as I teach summer school. I know many are thinking but what if someone needs to get in contact with me. Well, I check my email at the start of the day and before leaving school and of course the office can call the room phone if necessary. I can focus on my students and my instruction thereof if I eliminate interruptions that I can control.

I guess I view it the same way I view yard work--I never take my phone with me then and I seem to get it done in a timely fashion. :)