Trying to improve the balance of school and family is the reason why a student like nursing major Erika Melgar and eight other students attended the Four Keys to Balancing Family and School workshop.
She said, “I just found having to balance all the four points, like what’s important and what’s not important is categorizing all the items, and separating them, I think that for me was the most important [recommendation].”
Melgar found this presentation helpful, she liked the idea that there was a workshop like this one provided to students at the college.
The workshop was presented by Child Development Faculty member Jenn Palma.
She made her introduction with a power point presenting to students how to balance school and family.
On a piece of white paper folded in four, students wrote in each square the four keys points which are the following:
- Quadrant I. Urgent and important
- Quadrant II. Not urgent and important
- Quadrant III. Urgent and not important
- Quadrant IV. Not urgent and not Important
Palma said, “I would like you take two minutes and write down what might be going through your head right now, but then keep moving on, like you got to write a paper, you got a mid-term you’re about to do, there’s a test coming up.”
Business Administration major Shennis Reyes thought when she went down to the fourth quadrant that it was very helpful to actually see what quadrant lines were and the urgency.
“I think the presentation was well put together and I enjoyed it, it was helpful and beneficial, even when you think you don’t have time, get off schedule and breathe in,” she said.
Palma and the students were pitching in suggestions on how it might be helpful to other parents to manage time with their kids, and not rely on the television to “babysit” so you can study.
Palma said, “I’m always reflecting on making changes to better balance family and school. It’s a constant in my life, in how am I going to be a better teacher and a better parent in order to do all of my jobs effectively.
“How do I create time for myself so that I’m well cared for while I’m serving students and my own children, it’s an ongoing process,” she said.
No further workshops are on schedule for this semester.
For further information contact:
Jenn Palma, Ed Deparment Child Development Faculty,
jpalma@cerritos.edu Ext. 2582
Palma provided to students with the following websites as use resources that might help them.
http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/acad/strat/time_use_chart.html
CERRITOS COLLEGE RE-ENTRY PROGRAM
http://cms.cerritos.edu/re-entry-program
Community Resources/Childcare:
There are some resources on the Cerritos College website:
http://cms.cerritos.edu/ifalcon/default.htm
