As
a new teacher there are many things you can do to more effectively manage your
time and not feel overwhelmed every day. Here are five of the top areas where you
can become better at managing your time.
Over plan
As
a high school teacher I am responsible for teaching 90 minute classes. When I
am planning a lesson I always have a plan for what we will do if we finish
early. This could mean starting the next section/topic, playing a review game,
doing enrichment activities, etc. If something takes longer than expected don’t
freak out just adjust your plans for the next day. One big issue new teachers
have is getting done 10-20 minutes early and just letting students sit at their
seats and talk quietly. You should always have more stuff planned than time
allows. If you class is 90 minutes long you should plan for at least 120
minutes so if you get done early there is always more for your students to
learn.
Keep Old Lesson Plans
In
order to save time in the future and have a good idea about the pacing of a
class keep your old lesson plans in an easy to use format. I like to make a
table in Microsoft Word for each nine weeks that lists the date, standards
covered, objectives, and what we did in class each day. When I teach the class
again I have a great starting point and don’t have to wonder how long a chapter
or topic usually takes to cover.
To Grade or Not to Grade
This
is a big area all teachers struggle with not just new teachers. Some teachers
think they have to grade every single thing their students turn in. This is
ridiculous. You have to decide what you think is important enough to grade in
your class. Did it measure how well a student learned a topic/standard? When
students turn in some things I look at them and throw them straight in the
trash can. Everything you give students to work on should have a purpose and
help them but not everything needs to be graded by you. While students are
working you should walk around the room to see what areas (if any) they are
struggling in. This will give you a good idea on what may need to be covered
again. Just because they turn it in does not mean you have to grade it. DO NOT feel bad about not grading
everything students turn in.
No
Be
willing to say no every once in a while when you are asked to do different
things at school. As a new teacher you will probably be asked to do a lot of
different things like coaching, serving on committees, sponsoring a club,
tutoring outside of school hours, etc. While you don’t need to say no to
everything you do need to learn how to say no when you feel like too much is
being put on your plate.
Keep School at School as Much as
Possible
Many
new teachers think they need to constantly work on school stuff outside of
school hours. This is not true. While you will need to work on some things at
home there needs to be a line drawn between your professional life and personal
life. I try to get as much planning and grading done as possible during my
planning time at school. Some days I feel worn out and don’t want to but when I
get finished I always feel better than if I had just relaxed and didn’t
accomplish anything during my planning time. Also, make sure you always plan
time for yourself to do stuff you enjoy. Many new teachers who feel burned out
feel like that school is their whole life. Do fun stuff, go out with your
friends, watch a movie, and relax when you are away from school. You will feel
much better and refreshed when you come back to school and not dread getting up
every morning.
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