A few years ago, I was conducting a classroom observation in a Minnesota middle school. It was my first time observing teachers in that particular school district, and I hadn\u2019t been given the daily schedule for the school. I asked the teacher when her day ended. She looked at me, and said \u201cIt doesn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pretty much any K-12 teacher can relate to that answer. Teaching can be time consuming and hectic, and even on a slow day it\u2019s not uncommon for teachers to bring at least a little bit of their work home. Fortunately, there are ways teachers take the edge off of schedule pressure.<\/p>\n
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Prep time is important, and it\u2019s one of the most fun parts of the job. Lesson prep provides many opportunities to be creative. And it gives you a chance to bring something to your lessons that will really wow your students and colleagues! Because of this, it\u2019s easy for teachers to forget that efficiency is a very important component of lesson prep.<\/p>\n
Whenever you\u2019re putting together materials for a class, always ask yourself if there\u2019s a simpler way to assemble the same content. Sometimes an elaborate Prezi presentation can be replaced with a simpler PowerPoint that will be just as effective. Sometimes a learning game you\u2019ve planned for your students may not actually need written instructions. And even when written instructions are necessary, maybe most of the direction for an activity can be stated and modeled in class, with a very minimal written handout.<\/p>\n
And speaking of class handouts\u2026.<\/p>\n
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This time management tip might have seemed less sensible twenty or thirty years ago. But today, we live in an era of electronic information. There are countless alternatives to printing class materials on paper.<\/p>\n
Digital versions of printables can be sent to students for home printing. Quizzes and other activities can be displayed on a screen or projector, and students can simply write their answers down on their own sheets of paper. Flashcard drills can be hosted online and streamed into your classroom. I\u2019m sure you can think of other similar paper alternatives.<\/p>\n
Going paperless (or as paperless as possible) is a more powerful time-saver than you might first think. Most teachers who use paper-heavy instruction don\u2019t realize just how much time they\u2019re spending getting their materials \u201cprinter-ready,\u201d printing them out, collating and stapling them, buying printing supplies, making trips to the copier in the teacher\u2019s lounge or the copier at school, etc\u2026 Creating hard copy of your materials steals your time in a dozen little ways that all add up.<\/p>\n
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The biggest perk of saving time when you create materials is a reduction in stress. This isn\u2019t something you just do for yourself. A less stressed-out you is a more effective teacher\u2014in the classroom, on the playground, in after-school activities, and during meetings with students, parents and colleagues.<\/p>\n
Teacher burnout is a common phenomenon, and the consequences are real. If you are under too much stress for too long, the quality of your work as a teacher will suffer. Whenever possible, make sure that your weekly schedule includes some personal time where you can relax, have fun, and recharge. Self-care is an important part of giving your best to your students.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Teaching is always a busy job, but \u201cpeak busy\u201d tends to be cyclical and predictable. Be mindful of your calendar and your work cycle. Don\u2019t let things like parent-teacher conferences, grading sessions, and extracurricular school activities creep up on you. Be aware of the days and weeks during the year when you\u2019ll be especially busy and arrange your calendar accordingly. Advanced planning is key to managing temporary increases in your workload.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A few years ago, I was conducting a classroom observation in a Minnesota middle school. It was my first time observing teachers in that particular school district, and I hadn\u2019t been given the daily schedule for the school. I asked the teacher when her day ended. She looked at me, and said \u201cIt doesn\u2019t.\u201d Pretty […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2440],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[4914],"class_list":["post-376","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-becoming-a-teacher"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTip # 4: Anticipate extra obligations in your schedule<\/h2>\n