Time Management for Teachers

If anyone still reads this, you know that I have seriously neglected this blog. There are many, many reasons which I hope to talk about later, but one main reason is time management. I wake up around 6:20, get dressed, go to work, leave at 4:30, take my bf to work, come home to cook dinner, work some more, pick up bf, and go to bed. Then I repeat it all the next day. Some days are more hectic than others because I am taking classes at night for grad school and I also have teacher duties such as football games, volleyball, step team, etc.

With that said, I'm so tired of not having time for ME. I have neglected myself and I know it cannot be healthy. There are a few ways that I know of that can help me save time. I do not know if it will be helpful for all teachers...this is mostly a record for me.

1. I do not have to grade EVERYTHING. Bellwork can be randomly graded. I should focus grading on quality work, not busy work.

2. Make use of planning time. My planning period has become my napping period and I need to use this time to work.

3. Make myself less accessible. Last year I gave my students my phone number and they called me like crazy asking me about due dates, work, etc. This year I said no more! If a student needs to reach me, they can email me or they can come during my tutoring hours.

4. Invest in a crock pot.

5. Keep a strict schedule. My goal for this year was to leave all work at work, but that is definitely not happening! I've gone from bringing one bag home a night to two and both are overflowing with papers.

6. Deal with issues as they come. I am constantly adding things to my never ending to do list. This afternoon, I came up with a great idea of getting things done. I began to clean my desk and instead of putting things aside for a later time, I took care of it right then and there. And each task did not take more than 5 minutes.

So this is my working list so far. These are things that have worked for me so far and I know I'll be adding more to the list. I am determined to get my life in order while I am still early in the school year.