One of the most common complaint of many teachers is that there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. We have so much on our plate but very little prep time. Most of our before and after school time tends to be eaten up by meetings and everything else that comes our way.
By implementing the following four steps, you’ll find more time and freedom in your day to spend with your students and on yourself. Wouldn’t it be awesome to not rely solely on the winter, spring and summer breaks to have your much needed, “me time?” If you don’t carve out some time for yourself, you will hit burnout quickly.
This past year alone had me struggling for a while until I took back control. I did it using the following steps and decided to share them with you.
BUT, I want you to do only one step at a time. Implement it and make it a habit so that you don’t have to actively think about it, before you move on to the next step. If you do them all right away, it may be a bit overwhelming, so let’s start with step number 1.
Actionable Steps:
#1. Must Dos
First thing in the morning, make a note of 2-3 things that you need to work on during that day. Perhaps it’s marking a specific assignment, cutting out arts and crafts for a class or developing a lesson.
Don’t write down more than that because either of two things will happen:
- You won’t get to your list and you’ll feel like crap when you have to leave for the day.
- You’ll end up burning the midnight oil by staying up late at night and not getting enough sleep.
After you have your list, figure out when you can work on it? Your prep? Lunch? Recess? After school? Schedule it in right away so that nothing else can suck up that time.
To plan your prep time and outside of school time so that you can be more efficient and have a life of your own, check out the following FREE masterclass and resource. Even though it’s selling in my store, I’m giving it to you for free because I’m excited to have you here. Grab it by CLICKING HERE or on the following image:
#2. Mini Tasks
Random things will pop out at you during the day. You may have emails to respond to or people may randomly show up at your door to have a chat. Make a note of when you’ll deal with those interruptions. I tend to reply to emails when my students are eating lunch. What about you? When is your time to work on these mini tasks?
#3. Quick Daily Plans
DO NOT write detailed lesson plans. That’s for when you’re in teaching school. Make quick notes. The following article outlines how to quickly write your Daily Teacher Plan so that it satisfies the needs of your principal and you.
You can make your quick notes on the following template. This will force you to keep it short and sweet. CLICK HERE or on the following image to download your lesson planning template.
#4. Bring In Others
Many parents want to be in involved in your class, so bring them in. Can they help you with small tasks like working on your bulletin board, small group reading, providing extra support for students who need it or helping you cut out crafts?
Personally, I ask parents to help with my outside of the class bulletin board as I’m not a fan of it and it takes a long time. Parents also support me with providing extra reading support for my students, especially when I don’t have an education assistant in my class. They also help with extra curricular activities.
There are teachers who feel like they’re relinquishing control of their class when they ask for help or are afraid that those tasks won’t be done perfectly, so they don’t ask for help. If you want your time back and you don’t want to burnout, let perfectionism go and ask for support.
Honestly, there are so many ways that a parent can support you so that you can have more time for your students and yourself, while they feel like they’re a part of your classroom community. It’s truly a win-win situation.
Recap:
Let’s recap really quickly. Today, we looked at the following:
- The importance of focusing on time management strategies for teachers.
- Four effective time management tips for teachers in the classroom: must dos, mini tasks, quick daily plans, and bring in others.
Free Resources:
If your children are struggling to hand in assignments on time, check out the following video training: 3 Steps to Teach Children How to Overcome Procrastination to Increase Productivity.
Next Steps:
For calm down areas on a budget, for your students who have autism, CLICK HERE.
If you found this video beneficial, would you do me a favor? Share this with your family, your friends, your loved ones, your co-workers or someone who you think could benefit from this. Thank you!
I’ll see you next Friday at 5:30pm PST.
Until I see you next time, remember to create, experience & teach from the heart.
Take care,
Charlotte
