GTD in Education

[Last updated: August 16, 2007]

There is a plethora of information online about various implementations of David Allen’s GTD system, but precious few examples in the field of education. Even fewer than that address the unique aspects of the day-to-day life of the school-based administrator. Here is my first pass at sharing my system with the community-at-large.

One thing I am asked about quite frequently is the notebook(s) and/or index cards that I carry with me pretty much everywhere on campus. As a techno-geek, many people are really surprised to find that I use paper as my primary method of capturing ideas, thoughts, and meeting notes.

I have read David Allen’s excellent book on productivity several times and have tried to incorporate his ideas into my productivity methods. There is no shortage of discussion on the Web about David Allen’s
methods, and at first I was a little hesitant to even venture into the religion that is GTD. Eventually, I realized that despite what some would argue, it is not an all or nothing proposition, especially in the
field of education.

The Hardware

Circa Stuff
I became aware of my bizarre attraction to office supply stores as a middle school student when I was constantly needing a better “Trapper Keeper” or some other notebook that would certainly help me improve my grades. The thing is, even until recently I spent way too much time trying to build the “perfect” system, and far too little time actually doing the stuff my lists.

In a podcast last July, productivity guru Merlin Mann of 43Folders asks, “Are you enjoying your coffee or just obsessing about the cup you put it in?” A few months after listening to that podcast, I decided it was time to firm up my trusted system and spend more time doing the work.

My system at this point consists of:

Levenger Bomber Jacket Circa Fold-over Notebook with 5 Pocket Dividers - My “work life” lives in this one. My notebook is divided thusly:

  • Clear cover,
  • Cool picture I printed soon to be replaced by my school’s core values
  • Two Levenger 3×5 Pocket Dock-its that hold to-do lists and quick reference items scribbled on various index cards,
  • Pocket divider number one,
  • Calendars for the week and the month printed from iCal,
  • Pocket divider number two,
  • Blank pages for meeting notes,
  • Pocket divider number three,
  • “Project” pages - that is, anything ongoing that needs some attention or may need to be referenced again,
  • Pocket divider number four,
  • Reference (school accountability report, school calendar(s), list of teachers I am responsible for evaluating, list of student teachers and their cooperating educators, etc.),
  • Pocket divider number five.

This comes home every day in case I need to reference it in the evening.

Levenger Circa Junior Zip Folio in Black with 5 Pocket Dividers - This houses primarily “personal” stuff. Records of phone calls I’ve made to the bank, to the phone company, to the Toyota dealership, etc. The tabs are divided thusly:

  • Personal (non-school) action lists,
  • Running notes (phone calls, etc.),
  • Bigger projects (list of chick flicks my wife would like to own on DVD, list of potential blog posts, etc.),
  • Reference (my school phone tree, bank account numbers, insurance policy numbers, critical contacts I might need if my phone crashes), and
  • Blank paper.

This comes back and forth with me every day and is always open on my desk at work.

Other hardware:

  • T-Mobile Dash Nokia N73 - Other than the fact that it’s not an iPhone, I love this device. It’s small, light, and easy to use. It syncs via Bluetooth with iSync so I have a copy of my calendar with me at all times.
  • Levenger Circa PDA with 5 tab dividers - This is the newest tool in my bag. I use it as my portable “catch-all” and keep it loaded with lined cards and “to-do” cards. If I add it as a (semi) permanent part of my kit, I’ll probably spring for a leather cover for it as well.
  • Lamy Safari Fountain Pen - I finally broke down and bought a fountain pen. I love it. For under $30, this pen has been a wonderful introduction to the world of fountain pens.
  • Pilot G-2 and Pilot G-2 Mini Pens - Simply the best pens you can buy. I find it is always easier to write and brainstorm if you like what you’re writing with.

The Software

The software is a little light right now as for the last few years I’ve worked at jobs where Macs were verboten. Now that I will have a Mac at work, I may finally explore something like Omni Focus or iGTD.

  • Microsoft Outlook 2003 iCal + Google Cal + Spanning Sync for calendaring - Keeping iCal in sync between multiple machines is a challenge right now so I’m using Google Calendar as the middle man. I just don’t see the value in $100/year for .Mac (although the “Back to my Mac” feature of Leopard may change my mind).