We’re all busy people – it’s like the sickness of the modern age, although I have my suspicion that it’s far older than that. And teachers are busier than most people – I don’t think many people really subscribe to the old 9-3 and that’s that belief anymore. For teachers, the workloads are really beginning to increase. In addition to the traditional things, like planning, preparation and assessment, I’ve noticed a huge growth in the paperwork needed from teachers. So how can teachers cope with these additional demands in the most efficient way possible? Here are my ideas.
1. Get in early.
I know this one’s a bit controversial, so I thought I would get it in at the start of the list. I have a lot of things that I must do before school starts, but even before I took on this role, I would get into school early. It helps that I’m a bit of an early bird, but I’ve found that getting to school an hour or so before you’re needed really pays off. It’s quiet, no ones using the photocopier, there are no water-cooler conversations to distract you, and you’ll get a lot more done than staying behind for an hour after school – when you’re tired, and it seems like everyone wants to talk.
2. Develop a routine
This is a bit like the one above. Don’t rush from situation to situation. You’ll only get yourself flustered – and you’ll forget something (See number 4 below, for tips on remembering things). Instead, have a set structure that you follow. For me, this pays off when it comes to marking. I religiously collect books every 5 weeks to mark. I hate it, but I force myself to do it, regardless of what else is going on. I mark assessment tasks as soon as the due date is passed. I take the roll in the first 10 minutes of lesson – every lesson. I get to classes 5 minutes before the bell (where possible) so that I can have work ready to go for students. I check equipment every lesson. A routine lets you deal with all those nasty surprises that can occur in a much more efficient fashion.
3. Done is better than perfect.
Sometimes, you need to bite the bullet and say, I know it’s not perfect, but at least it’s done. Teaching is a job with some time-critical elements. That slideshow about Ancient Egypt – you have to show it tomorrow morning regardless of whether all the pictures are aligned or not. That lesson – you’ve got to teach it next lesson regardless of whether it’s ready or not. So get it done, get the kids into class, and get them doing something.
Having said that, you’ve got to know when this rule doesn’t apply. Grammar is never up for debate. Communications to parents have to be perfect. And when you’re dealing with staff and students, take the time to get the words exactly right.
4. Technology is your friend. No, really.
Technology often gets a bad rap. I know, it’s frustrating when the internet doesn’t work, or the computers take forever to log on, but you’ve got to use it to your advantage. And the iPad is a huge advantage. Use Apps like iBooks and Pocket to save pages and PDF for professional reading. That way, you can read them at any time. Put your calendar into iCal. Use the reminders to list things that have to be completed – I do one of these every week. Set alarms to remind you when you have to complete something. Go paperless in your classroom – you won’t believe how much time you’ll save by not hanging around at the photocopier.
5. 2 minute rule.
This is a personal favourite. I can’t remember who told me about it. I use it for my email. When you get an email, do something with it straight away. If you can do the task in less than 2 minutes, do it there and then. If you can’t add it to your list of things to do. Then delete the email so that it doesn’t clutter up your inbox.
Those are my best productivity tips. What are yours?