LESSON 2

Title: LESSON 2: (Introduction) Timewhat is it and how do we manage it? (Overview)

Lesson Overview: Using what the plumbers already know about how hectic life can be, show
them why its important to manage their time.
Resources or Materials Needed: A Time Management Quiz, Assessing your time management
skills worksheet (below), Important/not important/urgent/not urgent grid (two per participant)
and pencil for each participant
Lesson Objectives: The plumbers will be able to understand and to articulate why it is
important to manage our time
Time: one hour
We will be using the pencil and paper to begin to categorize the things we do every day into
important/not important/urgent/not urgent categories
Step 1: Pre-instructional activities: (10 minutes) Start with A Time Management Quiz, then
move into gaining the learners attention, which will be when I tell the fireman story, which
includes active participation by the plumbers.
This will help them to see the need for prioritizing
Ask for examples of a time when they knew they needed to make something a priority but
didnt, the outcome, and their assessment of the outcomedid it have a good or bad ending?
Facilitate a discussion on why they think it might be important to get the bids in on time.
Hand out the Assessing Your Time Management Skills worksheet and give them a few minutes
to complete it.
Step 2: Content presentation: (10 minutes) Actively demonstrate the passage of 30 seconds.
Do we even realize just how long that is?
Ask for participants to give definitions of time and I will write them on the white board (3
minutes)
The dictionary defines time as --- a moment, hour, day, or year as indicated by a clock or
calendar
There are two types of time: clock time and real time. In clock time, there are 60 seconds in a
minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day and 365 days in a year. All time passes equally.
When someone turns 50, they are exactly 50 years old, no more or no less.
In real time, all time is relative. Time flies or drags depending on what you're doing. Two hours
at the department of motor vehicles can feel like 12 years. And yet our 12-year-old children
seem to have grown up in only two hours.
1

Ask for examples of when time has flown/dragged from participants (4 minutes)

Step 3: Learner Participation: (20 minutes) Hand out important/not important/urgent/not
urgent grid to each plumber and a pencil
As a group, we will brainstorm and come up with 4-6 different activities that the plumbers must
do each day/week. (4 minutes)
I do (3 minutes): discuss one of the activities and ask each plumber for their input as to which
box it should go into and why. Explain that it might go into one box for one plumber and
another box for another plumber, or even a different box on a different day (cleaning out their
truck might be important but not urgent on a regular day, but on a day that they just finished a
big job and need to go back to running regular calls but cant get to any of their tools because of
all the supplies and products theyre bringing back to the shop from completing a big jobthen
it becomes important AND urgent). What other examples can they come up with for why/when
things might change?
We do (5 minutes): together discuss where each of the remaining items might go on their list
(reminding them that it can be different for different people), and place them in the most
commonly agreed upon area for each item.
They do (8 minutes): have them come up with and place 4-6 more items on their list.
Step 4: Assessment: (10 minutes) The assessment for this unit of instruction will be a discussion
of where they placed their activities and why.
Step 5: Follow-through activities: (10 minutes) Give each plumber a fresh Important/not
important/urgent/not urgent grid. Instruct them to take one with them and throughout the
day, jot down a minimum of 10 things they find themselves doing (at work or at home) and
place them in the category of their choosing, based on our discussion today.
Give time to answer any questions.

1
Author Joe Mathews,Don Debolt, Deb Percival (retrieved 06/08/2014). 10 Time Management Tips That Work. Retreived from
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553


LESSON 2
ASSESSING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS
For each set of statements below circle the number of the one that best describes you.
1. I like my watch to be set exactly at the correct time.
2. I like my watch to be set a few minutes ahead of the correct time.
3. Most of the time, I don't wear a watch.

1. I tend to arrive at most functions at least 5 minutes early.
2. I tend to arrive at most functions exactly on time.
3. I tend to arrive at most functions a little late.

1. In the course of my daily activities I tend to walk and talk quite fast.
2. In the course of my daily activities I tend to take my time.
3. In the course of my daily activities I tend to walk and talk quite slowly.

1. At work I almost always completed my daily assignments.
2. At work I usually completed my daily assignments.
3. At work often failed to complete my daily assignments.

1. I rarely spend more than 15 minutes at a time on the telephone.
2. I sometimes spend more than 15 minutes at a time on the telephone.
3. I often spend more than 15 minutes at a time on the telephone.

1. I like to finish assignments and reports with a little time to spare.
2. I like to finish assignments and reports exactly on their due dates.
3. I sometimes finish assignments and reports a little late.

1. I rarely spend more than an hour eating a meal.
2. I sometimes spend more than an hour eating a meal.
3. I usually spend more than an hour eating a meal.

1. I never watch more than 1 1/2 hours of TV on a weeknight.
2. I sometimes watch more than 1 1/2 hours of TV on a weeknight.
3. I usually watch more than 1 1/2 hours of TV on a weeknight.

1. I never spend more than an hour surfing the Web or talking on a chat line at any one time.
2. I sometimes spend more than an hour surfing the Web or taking on a chat line at one time.
3. I usually spend more than an hour surfing the Web or talking on a chat line at one time.

Now add up the numbers that you have circled __________________
The higher the total, the more you need to work on time management skills now that you are in
college. If your total is over 10, you probably need to adjust your priorities and begin to take
more responsibility for managing your time.
Unknown author, (Retrieved 6/18/14) from Education World taken from http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson084.shtml
Lesson 2 worksheet
Time management matrix

Urgent


Not urgent


Important
1. DO NOW
(Ex: fix your flat tire)
2. PLAN TO DO
(Ex: oil change due in a week)




Not important
3. REJECT AND EXPLAIN
(Ex: reading an incoming text
message)
4. RESIST AND CEASE
(Ex: alphabetizing your calls before
you leave for your first call)














Alan Chapman (retrieved 6/10/2014). Time management Techniques and System. Retrieved from
http://www.businessballs.com/timemanagement.htm#urgent_important_grid_time_ management
Lesson 2 Quiz
A Time Management Quiz

1. Do you do your bids at about the same time? Yes No
2. Do you start working on your bids before 6:30 each morning? Yes No
3. Do you use driving time/down time to research prices? Yes No
4. How many hours do you spend writing bids during the week? _______________
5. How much time each week do you usually spend researching prices? _______________