My Response (to the original email below) :
Great thought piece. In my profession I must give the illusion of variety while maintaining absolute structure. As a college professor I must educate, interact and unfortunately entertain. Many students believe they detest structure and actually think they can (or are currently) avoid it in the future. Yet, if I want to throw a dash of variety, or change the course to bring in a relevant idea, they fault me for disorganization because it wasn't noted on the syllabus that was planned more than four months earlier. This is true even if they are given extraordinary opportunities.
This is why my job is so exciting. I need to assist many of these young minds into thinking for themselves while viewing structure and planning as an asset.
Personally I see variety with each changing semester. Each class dynamic is different and
lessons planned months in advance must be changed minutes before lecture to relate to the world at large.
A word of advice to my fellow professors - have a detailed syllabus with grading and assignments, but leave some wiggle room with the topics and in-class activities. As long as you make a time-slot for interaction, you can give let them decide if it's variety or structure.
~ Rachael
The original email:
from - Rob Hatch via infusionmail.com
"I have a question for you, Jurekrl. (Do note that this is a form email as I signed up for the Chris Brogan blog as jurekrl)
Are certain days of your work week more important than others?
Here’s what I’m getting at.
Athletes practice. Often. Their days are structured. Their workouts are different each day. The intensity varies. Some even have, dare I say it, #daysoff.
Depending on the sport, athletes may have a day to focus only on form, or endurance, speed or strategy. Then they put it to the test. Maybe on a Friday night under the lights or on Sunday or even a few days each week.
Variety is the...
In larger organizations operational structure is imposed externally. Monday may be filled with internal meetings or reports may need to be submitted by noon. Wednesday may be a day for smaller teams to convene. This creates a rhythm to the week and you can be asked to “perform” differently on certain days to serve the needs of the organization.
For some this might feel constraining. Others however enjoy the cadence, knowing what they are working towards, when to push and when to pull back a bit and attend to other things.
The variety an athlete uses to train acknowledges that there are many facets to her successful performance. It is built on the idea that the body needs variety in developing speed and endurance. She understands that not every day is all out. She works hard, but she’s preparing for something bigger.
Your week…
I’m curious how your week is constructed? Is everyday the same for you? Do you go all out or do you vary your workload throughout the week? Do you give yourself practice days? Do you have days where you need to “perform”?
Let me know what YOU do and how it works for you.
-Rob
Great thought piece. In my profession I must give the illusion of variety while maintaining absolute structure. As a college professor I must educate, interact and unfortunately entertain. Many students believe they detest structure and actually think they can (or are currently) avoid it in the future. Yet, if I want to throw a dash of variety, or change the course to bring in a relevant idea, they fault me for disorganization because it wasn't noted on the syllabus that was planned more than four months earlier. This is true even if they are given extraordinary opportunities.
This is why my job is so exciting. I need to assist many of these young minds into thinking for themselves while viewing structure and planning as an asset.
Personally I see variety with each changing semester. Each class dynamic is different and
lessons planned months in advance must be changed minutes before lecture to relate to the world at large.
A word of advice to my fellow professors - have a detailed syllabus with grading and assignments, but leave some wiggle room with the topics and in-class activities. As long as you make a time-slot for interaction, you can give let them decide if it's variety or structure.
~ Rachael
The original email:
from - Rob Hatch via infusionmail.com
"I have a question for you, Jurekrl. (Do note that this is a form email as I signed up for the Chris Brogan blog as jurekrl)
Are certain days of your work week more important than others?
Here’s what I’m getting at.
Athletes practice. Often. Their days are structured. Their workouts are different each day. The intensity varies. Some even have, dare I say it, #daysoff.
Depending on the sport, athletes may have a day to focus only on form, or endurance, speed or strategy. Then they put it to the test. Maybe on a Friday night under the lights or on Sunday or even a few days each week.
Variety is the...
In larger organizations operational structure is imposed externally. Monday may be filled with internal meetings or reports may need to be submitted by noon. Wednesday may be a day for smaller teams to convene. This creates a rhythm to the week and you can be asked to “perform” differently on certain days to serve the needs of the organization.
For some this might feel constraining. Others however enjoy the cadence, knowing what they are working towards, when to push and when to pull back a bit and attend to other things.
The variety an athlete uses to train acknowledges that there are many facets to her successful performance. It is built on the idea that the body needs variety in developing speed and endurance. She understands that not every day is all out. She works hard, but she’s preparing for something bigger.
Your week…
I’m curious how your week is constructed? Is everyday the same for you? Do you go all out or do you vary your workload throughout the week? Do you give yourself practice days? Do you have days where you need to “perform”?
Let me know what YOU do and how it works for you.
-Rob
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