Getting Things Done Podcast — Ep. 331: Exploration of GTD for Educators
Host: John Forrester (GTD®)
Guests: Eric Johnson (High School Teacher, Chicago), David Wright (Professor, University of Iowa)
Date: October 8, 2025
Overview of the Episode
This episode explores the application of GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology specifically within educational settings. Host John Forrester brings together two educators from different levels—Eric Johnson, a high school teacher, and David Wright, a university professor and researcher—to discuss how GTD supports their professional and personal productivity, the unique challenges educators face, and how they adapt core GTD practices to fit their dynamic, interruption-prone environments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Introductions & Professional Context ([00:10]–[01:53])
-
Eric Johnson: High school social studies teacher, 5th year, teaches sociology, honors sociology, and freshman seminar (Chicago Public Schools, c. 3,000 students, 170 teachers). Notes the "make or break" point for teacher burnout and credits GTD with helping prevent that.
"This is sort of the make or break point where a lot of high school teachers burn out. And GTD has saved me from that." —Eric [00:56]
-
David Wright: Longstanding GTD practitioner, professor of microbiology and infectious diseases at the University of Iowa. Mentors students and faculty; uses GTD as a “major contributor into maintaining my sanity.” [01:19]
2. Workspace Differences & Portability of GTD ([01:53]–[04:12])
-
Eric: Shares classrooms, always mobile, relies heavily on an inbox for capturing items throughout the day.
"My GTD system really relies on the inbox and having somewhere where I can put everything that comes up throughout the day." —Eric [03:59]
-
David: Has a private office with a conference table, meeting space, and the luxury of closing his door for focused work. Uses a “do not disturb” sign for deep work.
"All my colleagues know that means I'm doing focused work." —David [02:49]
3. Educator-Specific Areas of Focus ([04:12]–[06:56])
-
David: Tracks many professional areas of focus including mentoring, teaching, research, service, and grant writing; avoids touching on personal areas in this context. Emphasizes the breadth and complexity of academic roles.
"I have many, many areas of focus that I maintain." —David [05:47]
-
Eric: More personal focus areas than professional, reflecting his philosophy that self-care enhances classroom performance; cautions against over-granularity in GTD areas.
"You can get really granular...I mean, you could sort of get really, really deep if you wanted to." —Eric [06:25]
4. Projects: Granularity & Advice for Students ([07:12]–[10:00])
-
Both: Keep projects at the level of one per class, avoiding sub-project overload. Make projects out of any "more than two-step" efforts but avoid micromanaging lesson plans as separate projects.
"For me, I have a project for each class section that I teach...I just restricted to a project per class." —Eric [08:06]
"All the courses that I teach—each course is a project. I don't get any granular than that..." —David [08:33] -
Advice: Encourage flexibility for whoever is practicing GTD—adjust granularity as needed, but avoid system overload.
5. Modeling GTD for Colleagues and Students ([11:24]–[13:41])
-
David: Uses agenda lists for mentoring, openly demonstrates GTD practices, and fields frequent curiosity from colleagues about his apparent calm and organization.
"How do you keep track of all this?" —On students’ amazement at his follow-up system [11:33]
-
Eric: Notes that a clean desk and visible organization draw attention. Many colleagues are curious but intimidated by the idea of building their own systems.
"I'm one of the few teachers in my department with a clean desk and a lot of that is thanks to GTD. And people notice..." —Eric [12:07]
6. Challenges Colleagues Face with GTD ([12:55]–[17:39])
-
Eric: Colleagues like the inbox/collection habit but struggle with processing, organizing, and especially with project/context lists.
-
David: Faculty resonate with the trusted system aspect, but have difficulty with the “engage” step; they prefer to plan heavily in advance (time-blocking), sometimes resisting the flexibility core to GTD.
"Faculty love the whole idea of capturing all the inputs ... but the engaging step is where ... they have some issues." —David [14:06]
-
Time Blocking: Both use it, but caution not to turn the calendar into a to-do list; always question if your planned time-blocked task is still the best use of your current time.
"When you come to a time block...I always ask myself...is this still the best use of my time where I'm at right now?" —David [16:52]
7. Surprises, Interruptions, and Managing the Unexpected ([19:09]–[24:09])
-
Eric: High school is “daily surprises”—student crises, assemblies, copier malfunctions disrupt plans. GTD helps by providing a flexible system to capture changes and stay agile rather than rigid.
"Interruptions are just shifts in immediate priorities...knowing that you have the system to help you navigate that interruption is really helpful." —Eric [20:02]
-
David: Even with time-blocks and "do not disturb" signs, interruptions happen. GTD allows for intentions but accepts that priorities must shift.
"That's the beauty and strength of a GTD practice..." —David [20:30]
-
Practical Tactics: Both use the inbox to quickly capture and park work when interrupted, so they can fully engage with the person or issue in front of them—returning easily to the task later.
"I literally will take what I'm working on and putting it in my inbox..." —David [22:46]
8. Approach to Priorities ([25:07]–[30:09])
-
David: Reviews projects and next actions after interruptions; sometimes splits off new projects based on new urgencies, facilitated by a well-maintained project inventory and the Nirvana app.
"I use Nirvana. I'm completely digital, and so it's wonderful web access...I can always, very quickly...glance at everything right from my phone." —David [26:43]
-
Eric: Has recurring actions for daily class prep, but flexibility to shift between work and personal lists based on what would bring the most peace of mind in the moment.
"If it would make me feel better if I knocked out my budgeting right now and maybe did grading later, I'll take care of that." —Eric [29:10]
9. Adapting Context-Based Lists ([30:09]–[36:38])
-
David: Has returned to standard contexts (agenda, errands, home, etc.), but notes “computer” is less relevant as everything is digital; advises subdividing by application or action type instead (e.g., “Microsoft Word” as a context, “email/text” as another).
“Maybe instead of computer, maybe separate it out in terms of what kind of software programs you use.” —David [32:01]
-
Eric: Divides digital contexts into “any computer,” “laptop,” and “home PC;” maintains physical-context lists like a “grading binder” so he always knows what grading he can do with papers in-hand.
"For me, grading is something that's done on the computer but is contingent on actually having the papers...So I keep a grading binder list..." —Eric [33:36]
-
Visibility to Students: Eric announces his own task management to students (“Mr. Johnson’s taking out his to do list right now...”) to help normalize and model GTD habits.
"That way kids don't think I'm just sitting there, like, reading about video games. They know that I'm engaged in work..." —Eric [36:38]
10. Closing Reflections: GTD is Cyclical, Iterative Learning ([37:35]–end)
- David Allen voice clip: Reminds listeners that everyone goes through phases of inspiration, plateau, and renewed learning with GTD. The system is there to revisit, deepen practice, and rediscover tools as needed.
“You may find yourself...saying, gee, I’m now becoming a resource of this methodology for people around me...every time they read [Getting Things Done], they get something new out of it.” —David Allen [37:35]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Over-Granular Systems:
“At a certain point you have to step back and say, is this making me mobile and agile? Am I able to complete my work better?” —Eric [09:36] -
On Clean Desk Envy:
“I'm one of the few teachers in my department with a clean desk and a lot of that is thanks to GTD.” —Eric [12:07] -
On Time Blocking:
“What you don't want to do is create a to do list and put it on your calendar because that's where things go wrong.” —David [16:33] -
On Interruptions:
“Interruptions are just shifts in immediate priorities...” —Eric [20:00]
“I want to be in the moment. I want to be there for whoever needs me...by putting [the task] in my inbox, it just releases that from my mind...” —David [23:07] -
On Modeling GTD for Students:
“Before I start students on an assignment...I have made it a practice to tell the students what I’m working on.” —Eric [36:38] -
On GTD Practice Evolution:
“All of us with this GTD methodology...go through cycles. You may find yourself...now becoming a resource...And every time they read [Getting Things Done], they get something new out of it.” —David Allen [37:35]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:10] — Episode Introduction / Guest Introductions
- [01:53] — Differences in Office Space and Impact on GTD Systems
- [04:12] — Areas of Focus for Educators
- [07:12] — How to Define Projects as an Educator or Student
- [11:24] — Modeling GTD for Students and Colleagues
- [12:55] — Colleague Resistance & Common Systemic Challenges
- [16:04] — Time Blocking: Pros, Cons, and Best Practices
- [19:09] — Interruptions, Surprises, and Resiliency
- [22:57] — Using the Inbox for Managing Interruptions
- [25:07] — Setting & Resetting Priorities
- [30:09] — Adapting Contexts Lists for an Educational Environment
- [36:38] — Modeling GTD Behaviors for Students
- [37:35] — David Allen Reflection: The Evolving GTD Practice
Final Thoughts
-
For Educators:
The episode emphasizes the need for adaptability in an unpredictable work environment. Both guests stress that GTD remains effective when tailored to the practical realities of teaching and research: keeping systems simple, using inboxes liberally, and modeling effective workflow behaviors for colleagues and students. -
For All GTD Practitioners:
The discussion closes by reminding listeners that GTD is a framework that matures over time. Users are encouraged to revisit, review, and refine their workflow systems as their needs and technology evolve.
This summary captures the core themes, practical tips, and memorable moments from the episode, delivering actionable insight for both educators considering GTD and seasoned practitioners seeking inspiration.