07 NOV 2024 Organisational Tools Week

During Term 4, Organisational Tool Week was a major focus for students during pastoral care classes with a series of engaging activities designed to help students enhance their organisational skills. The week began with students completing a pre-survey to assess their current organisational habits, which helped tailor the activities to their needs.

On Monday, PC teachers guided students through a YouTube video titled “How I Organise My Busy Schedule,” providing practical tips and inspiring students to think about their own organisational strategies. Tuesday’s focus was on the importance of using organisational tools to manage school tasks, highlighted in a school-made video. This video stressed that while teachers record tasks on SEQTA, students are ultimately responsible for their own organisation. By the end of October, every student was encouraged to have a reliable organisational tool in place.

Wednesday’s session featured another school-made video demonstrating how to use SEQTA’s homework and task list features, as well as the benefits of maintaining a hard copy diary. This aimed to show students various methods to stay organised and find what works best for them. On Thursday, students explored different to-do list apps through a KCC video and were challenged to try a new organisational tool if they hadn’t already or to continue using their current one. The goal was for all students to have a chosen tool by the end of October.

Friday involved PC teachers checking in with students to discuss their progress and record their chosen organisational tools. This ongoing support ensured that students were on track and felt confident in their organisational choices. To wrap up the week, students completed a post-survey to confirm the organisational tool they planned to stick with which showed that the students that relied on their memory had halved. This feedback will help us continue to support their organisational development.

Parents and caregivers can play a crucial role in supporting their children’s organisational skills. Encouraging regular use of the chosen organisational tool and recording tasks in the WHAT, WHEN and WHERE format. Families can also be proactive in discussing the benefits of keeping organised which can reinforce its importance. Additionally, parents can now view homework details on their SEQTA dashboards, including what homework is due, when it is due, and where it needs to be submitted. This visibility allows parents to assist their children in staying organised and meeting deadlines effectively.

Liam Benton
Director of Pedagogy