Don’t Go Chasing the Rabbit
Down the Rabbit Hole!
When everything is priority, then nothing is priority
How often, as a classroom teacher, do you feel like you have so many tasks piling up that your brain doesn’t know what to focus on and what to list as a priority. If we are to be realistic, everyone in education —administration, team leaders, parents, etc— deems the task they have asked you to complete as a priority on your to-do list. When everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. Don’t go chasing the rabbit down the rabbit hole like Alice did! Prioritize, schedule, and stick to a routine.
10 Ways to manage time better?
As I always say, “If you don’t take care of YOU, no one else will!” I know best because I, for years, didn’t place myself on the priority list over the demands of my classroom. After years of carrying the stress, my body spoke loudly and painfully. Today, I live with a chronic condition that I feel was a result of overworking my adrenals while always remaining in fight-or-flight mode. I don’t want that for you; I want better! If you struggle with finding time for yourself because there is so much to be done, is time to learn some time management skills, and to learn to say, “no,” or “not now.” There isn’t a simple and quick fix. It is a process that needs to be practiced until it is mastered. Learning to say, “no” can be hard for many when the task just keep piling up. You may need to look at your pile and decide what can come out of our pile.
⓵ Create a Routine. To get the most out of your day or week, it is important to find a rhythm and a routine —and stick to it! Schedule a time to wake up so you can get to school to prepare your room for the day, schedule time to make copies (preferably, when the entire school isn’t standing in line for the only teacher copier on site), and set aside time for administrative duties like grading papers and preparing lesson plans. Plan how much time each task is going to cost you and don’t try to do everything. I would even go as far as to schedule time to eat and a little recouping time for yourself because if you are as busy as we are as teachers, you can often forget to nourish and hydrate your body throughout the day. Keep protein bars and water on hand for nourishment. Even if you have to eat during your lunch period while grading papers, make sure you eat. Skipping meals should not be an option. You are not a magician; you can’t do it all, just schedule what you can get completed and take at least one hour for yourself to decompress.
⓶ Have Priorities. Make a list of things you need to accomplish. Trello, an online app, is a great, free tool to keep your tasks prioritized by creating labels for tasks and listing them as urgent, priority, and non-priority. I love it and it has saved me! You can also create a list in our reminders app on your phone of things that must be done, moving the urgent and priorities to the top of the list. This will give you an overall picture of what you need to get done, what needs to be completed first, and what can wait until later or (If we are honest) what may never get completed. 🗑 Don’t be afraid to say “no” to the items at the bottom of your list. It is okay! I used to think I needed to grade every single assignment my students produced. Sometimes, just an effort grade will do if you need to get ahead. We cannot do it all; we are only human after all.
⓷ Post a Visual Schedule. Create a visible schedule for yourself so you can stay on your routine and in rhythm. Studies have shown that if you create a visual schedule for yourself, you are more apt to stick to your routine. You can even go as far as to keep a timer and use it to make sure you follow your schedule. When the timer goes off, time is up! Move on to the next scheduled task. If you need to finish it, return to it the next day during your scheduled time.
⓸ Close and Lock Your Door During Your Planning Period. It’s not rude; it preservation of time and self. We only have so much time during the school day to get extra things done. This is your opportunity to maximize your time. If you are lucky to get 1 hour of uninterrupted planning time, that still isn’t enough time to grade 180 student papers/projects. To minimize distractions, close your door and lock it. It is even better if you have your desk positioned away from the door so that if someone comes to the door, no one can tell if you are in your room. That is what I do. Use this time wisely to check off some of the tasks on your priority list.
⓹ Do the Hard Tasks First. I follow this self-imposed rule because I know if I get all the little, easy, less important tasks completed first, then I won’t have enough energy to complete the one task I dread doing the most, and it will be easy to let it go or get stressed over it because I have to wait until the end of the day to do it. I am trying to teach my niece to do the hard things first like cleaning her room or the most challenging home assignment first, so it is easier to do the smaller easier tasks later. How many times have you begun cleaning your house and started with the easier tasks and then never got to that room that is a jungle because it is the catch-all room? Start with the jungle room first and you will still have the energy and, hopefully, the motivation to complete the smaller, easier tasks afterward.
To learn more about time management tips, this is a great read:
As teachers, we are often overworked and pulled in too many directions. We often put others before ourselves and it is hard to learn to take care of ourselves. Addressing mental health is part of self-care for our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, if your cup is empty, you can’t fill someone else’s cup. Here are 27 FREE COUNSELING OPTIONS FOR
TEACHERS https://www.weareteachers.com/free-counseling-for-teachers/
FOLLOW US:
Facebook ° Pinterest ° Instagram ° Teachers Pay Teachers ° AmpedUp
#geographyandmathmadeeasy#teachertherapy#therapy#geography#middleschool#highschool
See less
Geography & Math Made Easy 