EDUCATOR NEWS

Vol. 15 No. 3 August 2026

Organization/Time Management

DEVOTION

Forever

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. – Psalm 20 6-8

It is surprising how some people can feel confident in worldly things. Life shows us that the world is fallible. Everything created on earth has a lifespan. From the roof on your house to the car in your driveway, nothing lasts forever. This is true with simple things as well as complex. The Titanic was unsinkable until it wasn’t. VHS tapes and compact discs were on the cutting edge of entertainment until they weren’t. The Soviet Union was a global superpower destined to take over the world until it didn’t. Again, nothing lasts forever.

Except…

We know from Scripture that only God is eternal. Because God is eternal, time is of no great concern to Him except when it comes to us. God knows and understands us. Why would we look to anyone or anything else to take care of us? God has what we need, He gives it to us at just the proper time, and what we receive does exactly what God intended it to do for our benefit. What we learn today provides for us tomorrow, and when we look back to see when God blessed us, it serves to reinforce in our hearts and minds a certainty that He will continue to keep His promises to us today, tomorrow, and forever.

READ ENTIRE DEVOTION

SPECIAL EDUCATION ARTICLE

Organization/Time Management

Executive function skills help with organization, planning, time management, working memory, and problem solving. The Child Mind Institute provides a brief overview of executive functions, symptoms of executive function issues, how they impact organizational skills and time management, and how they're diagnosed. Click here to learn more.

APPS

Google Keep - Notes and Lists is an organizational app where users can easily create lists, reminders, photos, and capture audio. The notes can be shared, which can help teachers assist their students with improving their organizational skills. Free on both Apple and Google Play.

Remember the Milk is a task-organizing app appropriate for ages 13 and older. It can help teens with time-management, organization, goal setting, and prioritizing. The free version of the app includes basic task management features and syncing across devices. The paid subscription, $49.99 per year, has advanced features such as subtasks which break down large tasks into small steps. Available on Apple, Google Play, and on any web browser. Click here to learn more.

Time Timer is an easy-to-use app that can be a helpful tool for self-direction and time management. The app features a colored disk that slowly shrinks as time passes, allowing users to see how much time is left. Free on both Apple and Google Play.

STRATEGIES/TIPS/MATERIALS

TeachHUB offers strategies for teachers on how to teach time mangement to students. Click here to learn more.

"Fostering Time Management Skills With Young Students", by Edutopia, provides guidelines for helping elementary students develop a sense of time. Embedding time management activities into the school day, such as estimating how long a particular activity such as washing hands, unpacking a backpack, or completing an assignment might take or raising a hand when they believe 60 seconds has passed are a few examples. Reflecting, brainstorming and practice can help build a student's internal clock and help with time management. Read the article here.

Group projects are sometimes a part of the curriculum but can also be challenging for for both teachers and students. Much preparation and planning need to go into these projects. Edutopia provides a framework for teachers to help students establish routines and assist with the organizational skills needed for successful group work. Click here to read the article.

WORTHY WEBSITE

HMH offers a variety of free graphic organizers that can be downloaded or printed. Graphic organizers are available for the following categories: idea generation and brainstorming, organization and categorization, sequencing and process, relationship and analysis, reading and text understanding, writing and reasoning, research and information gathering, math and concept modeling, and formative assessment and reflection. Click here to access the graphic organizers.

LUTHERAN SPECIAL EDUCATION MINISTRIES

www.luthsped.org