Being a teacher can be an overwhelming occupation, but it can also be very rewarding. Some of the tasks that are time consuming are things such as: papers to grade, conferences with parents, emails to respond to, papers to file and so on.
The key element to this chaos: time management. Organization is one task that will make a huge difference to helping control the chaos. So much time is wasted in the hunting and gathering; looking for lesson plans, obtaining certain literary book for projects, completing IEP’s and more.
Some tips to get you on the road to good time management are:
➢ It is easy for paperwork to build up, and even easier to keep putting if off. It is important to rid yourself of unused materials, and if you haven’t used it in at least two years throw it out.
➢ Create a specific place for items you are keeping. Start dividing the work into four different categories: To do, to file, to read and to hold. This will help to give a direction and a plan to start clearing out the mess.
➢ Steps to start specifically sifting through the to file pile; you will need file folders and labels. Throw out dated material to rid of extra clutter. Also, it may be helpful to color code them so it makes it simple to find what you are looking for. Examples of different categories: lesson plans, discipline issues, student information, schedules, forms, tests/quizzes, substitute information and many more.
Other time saving tips could be some of the following:
- Use a daily planner to keep you on track, and it will help with not forgetting items that need to be addressed.
- Try not to do the difficult tasks when you are tired.
- Having a seating chart to review the attendance, and that will save time instead of roll call.
- Utilizing the grade book software available.