A few weeks ago I shared that I am forcing myself to disconnect from e-mail with the exception of 3 times a day.  Here are some observations on how it’s going:

1. E-mail takes up more time than you think.

Between each “checking time” I received an average of 31 emails, with the fewest being during my longest no-check time (overnight).  This was fascinating to me, as I was shocked to learn that I’m receiving an average of 93 e-mails per day!  If each email takes 1 minute to read, we’re talking about devoting over an hour and a half just to reading, not responding to e-mails each day. If you’re a classroom teacher, that’s planning time along with lunch each day. (Note: Having been a classroom teacher, the number may not have been 93 a day, but it wasn’t 5 either).

2. Sending Fewer E-mails

By not opening up e-mail, I sent far fewer e-mails.  Given the amount I receive, I’m sure those I send e-mail to have enjoyed the fewer e-mails – even if it was just one or two less from me. See #1 for why this is important.

3. The big one: I spent more time than ever in classrooms.

Before I started my “3-a-day” experiment, I felt like I spent a ton of time in classrooms – but with it – I spent just over 32 extra minutes a day in classrooms.  This alone is enough to take pause.

BONUS Observation:

I picked up the phone and actually talked to people more, or went to their classrooms to chat.  This was truly incredible (not being dramatic).  The relationships you build face-to-face will always be deeper than those over e-mail.  The words you use face-to-face will always be more authentic than e-mail.  The body language and facial cues you receive back in face-to-face moments are non-existent through e-mail.

Just a quick update for today, next time I’ll share how this worked with “emergencies,” how I navigated it with those who expected an immediate response, my productivity, and if it’s something I think I can take on long-term.

A Book I’m reading: Target 100: The World’s Simplest Weight Loss System

I made some life changes a few months ago, trying to curb my sugar addiction and lose some weight.  I loved it but never understood the science behind weight loss.  This book does a great job of explaining how habits and your brain really affect weight loss.  Other than that, it’s a book with some practical advice about being healthy.  A line I will take with me: “Turn guilt into gratitude, or you’ll dive even deeper into guilt, away from your goals.”

An Article that was thought-provoking:

“Testing in a Meritocracy.” There is quite a bit of discussion lately here in New York about testing and “opting out” on NYS assessments.  While some of the frustration is certainly warranted, I believe there is something to be said for standardized assessments and their place in creating equity.  We’ve seen with the college admissions scandal that money can buy you anything.  We’ll never be able to truly stop privilege, but we can limit its control by ‘leveling the field.’ Perhaps testing, standardized or otherwise, helps to level the playing field for those who can’t buy their way into academic institutions.

A Website that is 100% worth the subscription – marshallmemo.com

If you work in education, definitely check out The Marshall Memo!  Each week, you’ll receive education updates and summaries of important research and topics.  I love it as it provides me with a board range of sources and some very interesting articles that I probably wouldn’t have come across without it (like the one I wrote about above).