Introduction to Batching | 002

Our job is difficult. Yes it can be fun, but it is exhausting! If you are trying to do ‘all the things’ and do them well – it is a very difficult job. 

How can we make our jobs a little more efficient so that we can focus on the students when we are with them and not worry about everything else?

There’s no simple answer, but here is a suggestion that I know will help and that is Batching.

The concept came from business podcasts, I think Amy Porterfield was the one that developed the idea of Batching the most for me. 

“Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” Alexander Graham Bell

Batching is a productivity system that helps you to work on specific tasks or types of tasks in a dedicated time period without interruptions, rather than switching from task to task.

Following this method requires you to schedule and take breaks. Often paired with the Pomodoro technique which suggests 25 minutes focused work and 5 minutes break. (Take longer breaks after 4 pomodoros.)

Working in batches can really aid efficiency. It has the added benefit of helping me to organize and record my thoughts for use now BUT also in the future.

There is really no such thing as multitasking – it is task switching – and a great deal of time is lost while you get ‘into’ the new task.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered that people find genuine satisfaction during a state of consciousness called Flow. I know when I get ‘In the flow’ time flies and the work doesn’t really feel like work. This is what I aim for! Batching helps me to get into this optimal work zone. 

It minimises distraction so that workflow is more concentrated and I can focus on detail.

Batching helps me to chip away at the large amount of work, in many different areas, that has to be done. Sometimes the enormity of what I need and want to do becomes overwhelming. Batching helps me! It helps provide effective structure in which I can tackle the larger, longer term jobs.

I get much clearer thoughts and ideas when immersed in these specific tasks. I recall past activities, workshops, experiences, repertoire etc as I sink deeper into the work.

This is just as it sounds. By digging deep in one area, I am moving ahead, ready for the future – the next week, month, term or even year! Imagine that!

These are the things I tend to batch. I am sure you can think of things that will work well for the way you work.

In future podcasts I plan on having a closer look at how I batch some of these things listed below. 

Some of these are things that you do not have to keep working on in large focused blocks of time. You record your work and from then on just add to and edit. 

• Event Repertoire
• Year level repertoire 
• Developing assessment tasks
• Writing marking guides
• Unit planning, Lesson planning
• Pitch activities
• Rhythm activities
• The use of manipulatives – this is a big one that dovetails into things like pitch and melody. 
• Beat passing games 
• Individual Singing 
• Dance/Movement
• Action Songs
• Text improvisation
• Australian Songs
• Aboriginal and Islander Repertoire and activities
• Name games
• Web activities (like Incredibox)
• Books to Sing
• Canons/part work
• Games 
  • circle games
  • partner choosing
• Art Music
• YouTube clips – for
  • practicing rhythm
  • Melodic
  • fun and engagement
  • World Music
  • Instruments – nothing beats live, but this is a good substitute