One of the great things about our organization, the Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE), —aside from our amazing colleagues—is how I feel walking away from each conference with so many great, tangible tasks I can implement. Yet, I have so much to do already, and now newer ideas to add in. So, I think one of the biggest challenges after AASE can be: What do I do with my now expanded to do list?
Below are a few things I try to implement as I review all the materials, notes, and ideas after an AASE Conference, in an effort to help you make shorter order of your own items.
- Send Emails First. Before you get too into details, if there were lingering questions or materials you did not get, spend some quick time one afternoon sending out emails to those presenters. This takes relatively little time and will help with the prioritization steps below.
- Prioritize Multiple Ways. When there are so many ideas that you have to implement, you can often face a challenge of thinking about which comes first. However, that will change based on the variable at hand. For example, prioritizing can mean thinking about big vs. small tasks, tasks that cost very little to implement vs. those that cost significantly, tasks you can do without extra approval vs. those you need administrative approval for, or even most important to what is facing your office right now vs. something that won’t impact your team until the Spring semester. You may need to cross-section the ideas in a few different ways to find the things that are the most beneficial to implement. For example, is it easy to implement but it costs a lot of money? You can even use the Eisenhower Matrix to help you.
- Don’t Overhaul. Adjust. AASE can be so great because it allows you to hear what others are doing successfully at their schools. But before you throw out all your work and start over with something new, remember this: You don’t go from lifting 5 lbs. to 250 lbs. overnight; instead, you add a little bit at a time. So, try not to get overwhelmed to the point that you start from 5 lbs. again. Instead, start where you are and add small changes from the ideas at AASE to see what adds to the plans you’ve already thought through.
I used to try to do a lot of this on the plane home from the conference, but have found that it is much easier to do when I have had a moment of separation. Once I have gotten back home, back into the swing of the office, I am much more comfortable sitting down and deciding which pieces made the most sense to implement. This helps me also be proactive, rather than planning from my emotions—what excited me the most at the conference. I hope you can find a couple of these tips helpful as you work on your on lists and ideas for the upcoming year after our AASE Conference.
It was so great to see you all and I look forward to seeing you in Denver (if not sooner)!
(Erica M. Lux)
