The document discusses prioritizing tasks and making efficient use of time. It provides the original and revised daily schedules of a school psychologist. It also includes tools for prioritization like a to-do list with student evaluations and a matrix for categorizing tasks as urgent/important vs not urgent/important to help focus on long-term goals.

1. Prioritization
Making Best Use of Your Time and Resources

2. Current Time Schedule
 5:00 AM Wake up
 5:05 AM Exercise
 5:30 AM Shower
 5:45 AM Eat breakfast/Read paper
 6:15 AM Dress
 6:45 AM Leave for work
 7:30 AM Check email, disseminate information, Check Aeries for student data, Review SEIS
for IEPs, Review referral student files
 8:00 AM Consultation time, review cum files, write report, check email/consult
 8:45 AM Evaluation or observation of students
 10:45 AM Back to office to score tests, Contact staff/parents
 11:30 to 11:45 AM Check email, disseminate information
 12:00 lunch
 12:30 PM write reports, consultation, check email
 1:30 to 4:00 PM attend IEP mtgs, Special Ed Advisory Council, PBIS mtgs
 4:00 to 5:00 PM write reports, consultation, check email, projects

3. Revised Schedule
 5:00 AM Wake up
 5:05 AM Exercise
 5:30 AM Shower
 5:45 AM Eat breakfast/Read paper
 6:15 AM Dress
 6:45 AM Leave for work
 7:30 AM Check email, review priority list for evaluations & meetings, Check Aeries for
student data, Review SEIS for IEPs, Review referral student files, PBIS mtgs
 8:00 AM Consultation time, review cum files, write reports, disseminate information
 8:45 AM Evaluation or observation of students
 10:45 AM Back to office to score tests, Contact staff/parents
 11:30 to 11:45 AM Check email, disseminate information
 12:00 lunch
 12:30 PM write reports, observation, evaluation, consultation or projects
 1:30 to 4:00 PM attend IEP mtgs, Special Ed Advisory Council, PBIS mtgs
 4:00 to 5:00 PM write reports, consultation or projects

4. Simple Prioritization
 Prioritization based on project value
 Time constraints
 Pressure to complete a task

5. To Do List
Test Referrals
Permission 60 day
Name DOB Data Review Observation Test Report Comments
to test date timeline
Student A 5/22/2002 10/21/2011 12/21/2001 10/25/2011 11/7, 11/8/2011 initial, 11/28/2011 IEP 12/06/2011
11/14/2011
Student B 6/18/2004 10/25/2011 12/25/2011 10/27/2011 11/8/2011 initial, 11/21/2011 IEP 12/09/2011
11/15/2011
Student C 10/31/2011 three year 11/8/2011 IEP 12/12/2011
Student D 3/7/2002 10/26/2011 12/26/2011 11/2/2011 11/16/2011 initial, 12/12/2011 IEP 12/12/2011
11/29/2011
Student E 8/31/2004 10/25/2011 12/25/2011 10/28/2011 11/16/2011 initial, 12/6/2011 IEP 12/13/2011
11/18/2011

6. Prioritization Tools
 The Urgent/Important Matrix
The system advocates the use of
four quadrants to determine the
tasks you “need” to do and deciding
what should be made a priority.

7. The Matrix
The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities –Steve Covey

8. Covey’s Matrix
 In Quadrant 1 (top left) we have important, urgent items –
items that need to be dealt with immediately.
 In Quadrant 2 (top right) we have important, but not urgent
items – items that are important but do not require your
immediate attention, and need to be planned for. This
quadrant is highlighted because Covey emphasizes this is
the quadrant that we should focus on for long term
achievement of goals.
 In Quadrant 3 (bottom left) we have urgent, but unimportant
items - items which should be minimized or eliminated.
These are the time sucks, the “poor planning on your part does
not constitute an emergency on my part” variety of tasks.
 In Quadrant 4 (bottom right) we have unimportant and also not
urgent items – items that don’t have to be done anytime soon,
perhaps add little to no value and also should be minimized or
eliminated. These are often trivial time wasters.