It is well known that teachers put in overtime – unpaid overtime – between the prepping, grading, lesson planning, and everything else we do. I can honestly say that my teacher brain rarely turns off, even at home. But even with dedicating tons of time outside of school, teachers have to organize their time and figure out ways to manage their time to avoid burnout. After nearly a decade of teaching, these are time organization tips that help me manage the workload of teaching.
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To-Do List
A tried and true time management technique: a to-do list. My to-do list is often just a running list of assignments to grade and the date I want them graded by (usually a week!). But having this pad of paper on my desk is a sure fire way for me to manage my time as a teacher.
I also have a reusable checklist on my desk for the tasks that I repeat: changing the date on the board, updating my weekly agenda, my monthly newsletter, etc. This way, I don’t have to write them down constantly, just check them off as they get done, then reset at the end of the day/week/month depending on the task!
Prep Schedule
Another time management tip for teachers is having a schedule for your prep time. I have one prep a day, and I know what I should focus on during each of those days. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are for preparing for the next week of lessons, Thursday is for late work and grading, and Friday is grading. With this schedule, I’m able to keep up with the workload of planning and grading.
Grading Practices
As a teacher, one of the main things that take up my time is grading, especially as an English teacher. Some of my go-to tips to manage the grading pile are to grade during work time, not grade everything, and using rubrics! If you want to read about those tips (and 5 others!), check out my post about ways to keep up with grading.
Routines
A key way to save yourself time, especially when it comes to transitioning, is to have routines and checklists of tasks that you have to get done. For instance, having a list of what you need to do before going on summer break or having a to-do list for back to school season. As you go through the same changes each year, take the time to add or revise your list.
By knowing immediately what you need to get done for these specific points of the school year, you are able to avoid wasting time trying to figure out what you need to do and simply get them done!
Work When Students Work
When students are being given work time, I try to make sure I have a task that I am focusing on during that time. I usually try to focus on one task per day, but if I can get more done, that’s even better! When at work and in the classroom, I push myself to use all the time that I can, especially during prep time and work days.
Being Organized
Having a designated place for things in your room and on your desk helps eliminate wasted time searching for things. If you want some desk organization tips, check out my desk organization tips.
