Keeping focused in 2021 - Be honest with Yourself
As lockdowns come and go, and education is in-person, blended, or virtual, it is hard to keep motivated. Hope of a roll-out of vaccines and a ‘return’ to ‘normality’, ignores how one gets through the present, the here and now.
Just before the winter break, I gave a virtual presentation on some new 3 Rs – not reading, writing, and arithmetic, but rest, reflect, regroup. Rest went with recuperate. Good habits of sleep, exercise, nutrition all lead to better health. When one day drifts into the next, it is hard to be focused. Reflection, an honest look in the mirror, about what one is doing well, or not-well, is critical. I’m on top of my maths, but I hate reading alone out of class. No white lies. No ‘kind of’.
Look at both yourself and your study habits, and your curriculum. I really don’t get… Regroup means doing something about it.
For those on virtual learning, what then when schools are closed and lessons sparse? What is your school / university setting? What can you do with pencil and paper? If you’ve a device and broadband, opportunities are limitless.
Is this a matter of motivation? Exams and schools provide structure and social interaction. How on earth is one supposed to be focused when it’s all ‘not real’? Or if it is real, IF you don’t know that exams will happen? What’s the point?
Start with that idea of being honest with yourself.
Set yourself small achievable goals… I’m going to read for n minutes, or pages.
Don’t spend ALL DAY or ALL NIGHT online. (I’ve reverted to paperback books that I can read in the bath… ones that don’t mind getting wet…)
But if you are wanting to explore other things online, how about https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/learning-how-learn/content-section-0?intro=1
Or
https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
This is about YOU learning to be honest with yourself, to stay focused, to set small goals, to understand yourself better. Lockdown or no lockdown, understand HOW to keep that sense of focus.
Just before the winter break, I gave a virtual presentation on some new 3 Rs – not reading, writing, and arithmetic, but rest, reflect, regroup. Rest went with recuperate. Good habits of sleep, exercise, nutrition all lead to better health. When one day drifts into the next, it is hard to be focused. Reflection, an honest look in the mirror, about what one is doing well, or not-well, is critical. I’m on top of my maths, but I hate reading alone out of class. No white lies. No ‘kind of’.
Look at both yourself and your study habits, and your curriculum. I really don’t get… Regroup means doing something about it.
For those on virtual learning, what then when schools are closed and lessons sparse? What is your school / university setting? What can you do with pencil and paper? If you’ve a device and broadband, opportunities are limitless.
Is this a matter of motivation? Exams and schools provide structure and social interaction. How on earth is one supposed to be focused when it’s all ‘not real’? Or if it is real, IF you don’t know that exams will happen? What’s the point?
Start with that idea of being honest with yourself.
Set yourself small achievable goals… I’m going to read for n minutes, or pages.
Don’t spend ALL DAY or ALL NIGHT online. (I’ve reverted to paperback books that I can read in the bath… ones that don’t mind getting wet…)
But if you are wanting to explore other things online, how about https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/learning-how-learn/content-section-0?intro=1
Or
https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
This is about YOU learning to be honest with yourself, to stay focused, to set small goals, to understand yourself better. Lockdown or no lockdown, understand HOW to keep that sense of focus.