Time Management for Teachers – Time Saving Tips, Tricks and Hacks {Part 2 of 3}

We are back again to talk about all things Time Management for teachers.

{This post is Part 2 of a 3-part Time Management series for teachers }

This is one of the many skills teachers need to juggle all the demands and expectations upon us. As we have said before, by managing your time, you will find it easier to get through all the requirements expected of you as a teacher (and boy, there can be A LOT!)

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Organisation and time management go hand in hand. By setting up systems and routines, you will be better equipped and more efficient at completing repetitive tasks. By doing this, it will allow extra time to focus on more difficult jobs.

In this article, we will focus on time management tips that assist with staying organised:

5-minute rule

If you can do a task in less than 5-minutes, do it immediately. We find this is a good one when you are asked to send emails or hand in information at staff meetings. It is also a good rule for replying to parents or staff emails. By implementing the 5-minute rule, you aren’t clogging up your brain with more things to think about. You are simply getting it off your plate and moving on.

Lesson planning rule

Never spend more time on a lesson plan than it will take your students to complete. Think about your time as an investment; you wouldn’t make a monetary investment in something that will cost you more and more each year.

Delegate if possible

There is no rule that you must do everything yourself. Can your students help you complete a task? Some students love to stay in at lunch and help set up an art lesson or help you reorganise the maths resources (just make sure you have a small group and not just one individual student). Parents also love to help. For example, you could send home cutting, laminating, covering of books if they want to help.

Batching

Time management pros all say that batching is the best way to be productive. Batching is when you do the same or very similar tasks all at once.

For example: If you have a comprehensive assessment to mark, such as an end-of-year Maths test, you can batch this task by marking all the students’ first page and then continue onto the second page. Another example of batching is planning a whole term of homework in one sitting or making several class displays simultaneously. One way to help you get into the rhythm of this is organising your to-do list in sections.

In summary, move over multitasking!

Prioritise your to-do list

Try looking at your list and ranking the tasks according to importance, relevance, time limitations, and impact on student outcomes. It will help you see where you need to invest your time, to begin with.

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We have a free mini masterclass about this exact topic. So if you want more details, guidance or help, click here. In just 11 mins (or 6.5 mins if you watch on double speed) you will be a pro in getting on top of that to do list!

Maintain Focus

Working in smaller time frames may help with this one. It is important that you are focused and when you are not, give yourself permission to take a break. Ways we like to keep ourselves focused is to always have a glass of water on hand, batch, and eliminate distractions!

Work smarter, not harder

Finding shortcuts isn’t cheating – it is smart. No doubt there will be someone at your school that is super-efficient. Watch how they do things and ask them how they take shortcuts.

Create a digital filing system

This will make things easier for your future self. Creating those clear storage systems is going to really help. The same goes for any concrete resources such as games etc.

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Hold yourself accountable

Keep yourself accountable and on track by setting realistic goals. You are more likely to complete a task if you hold yourself accountable, and once something is done, you can move onto the next thing.

Time Management for Teachers - Time Saving Tips, Tricks and Hacks {Part 2 of 3} - Rainbow Sky Creations

Being efficient and effective with your time is a skill. Choose a couple of strategies to try and build on them from there. Not all the strategies we have suggested will work for everyone, so think of it as a smorgasbord and choose what you need. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

This post is Part 2 of a three-part Teacher Timesaver Series. Read Part 1 and Part 3 by clicking on the links.

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Need a shortcut to effectively manage your time? CLICK HERE! We have something special you are going to LOVE!

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What to read next:

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