Time is Relative

Ahh...gotta love a great Einstein theory on a weekday morning!

Often times teachers ask me how I manage to find time for all of the "busy things" that consume my days at school. I have frequently been asked, "When do you find time to do all of this?" Even though I typically feel that I could pile on even MORE activities/lessons/assignments/events/appointments in the course of my day, I am an extremely organized teacher/person and I usually have a 'system' that allows me to progress through my day and manage my many, many "busy things!" Here are a few of my solutions and quick-fixes to make the most out of your short day.


1. The Early Bird Catches The Worm...Literally

I can't even begin to tell you how hard it is for me to wake up most mornings. I roll over, grumble as I feed Lucy, and usually grunt and grrr all the way to the shower. Then, almost like one of those crazy body wash commercials where the actor/actress showers and feels completely refreshed and invigorated, I'm all good. I grab some coffee, check my e-mail, get ready, and then head off to school. I accomplish so much in the forty to thirty minutes that I'm at school before the kids are there, and since I sponsor an after school club/activity just about every day of the school year, these minutes are precious. I make copies of my science starters (my class warm-ups) for the class binder, check my mailbox, drop off my copies for our copy clerk, and send out some parent e-mails. Everything for the day is already ready to go because...


2. Lay Everything Out Ahead of Time the Day Before

Maybe it's because my mom used to have me lay out my clothes for the day before whenever we traveled, but I'm pretty sure I'm predisposed to laying all of my days' materials and lessons out before I leave work for the day. As a science teacher, lab prep consumes a large part of most of my days, and having everything ready to go as soon as I arrive in the morning eliminates many of my headaches.

3. Make Notes to Yourself (and your students) With Any Reminders You Might Forget!

I'm really big on writing reminder notes to my kids, and since they have to check my whiteboard every day for their daily HW assignment, I make it a point to use my board as a "message board" for any announcements, reminders, or even little pictures that brighten their day. It always helps to have a visual, and I've even caught myself checking the board every hour to remind myself of when there's a fire drill, locker cleanout, etc.

4. Detailed Lesson Outline...Not Necessarily Plans! :)

I usually keep two kinds of lesson plans-the ones in my binder (see above) and my typed out detailed lesson plans that I save to a flash drive. I use a template that I created on Microsoft Word where I include my objective, procedure, and assessment. I also include a spot to write a reminder for myself on whether or not I'm collecting anything, giving any handouts/flyers, and if we are making a science journal entry that day. It's so nice to have everything I need for the day in one convenient location, and it makes my life so much easier. I also love that my self-created template allows me more space to write than those weak plan books you buy at the supply store.

5. Assign Classroom Jobs

I honestly don't know why more middle school teachers assign classroom jobs. No matter how "babyish" you might think they are, you'll be amazed at how much time they save you! My kids take their jobs very seriously, and I usually rotate the jobs every 2 or so weeks. I write mine on a whiteboard so I can eliminate/add jobs as we see fit in our classroom.

6. Google Calendar App

This app has saved my life. In college I used to use an actual planner, but my Google Calendars for both school and home allow me to set reminders, alarms, and program events in as I hear about them. I am constantly setting alarms for myself to remind me to bring supplies to school, or to attend that forgotten parent meeting. I ♥ calendars in general. It also helps for me to look ahead at a week at a glance and know what to expect.

7. Use Every Minute

I understand that some teachers actually socialize during their plan hour and lunchtime, but I (most of the time) am not one of those teachers that can spend time that I could be spending planning, copying, or doing other school related tasks just eating. I bring cereal to school and eat it for lunch everyday in a plastic cup with some 1% milk. I keep the cups and some spoons in my room as well, and the cup allows me to "eat on the run!" I am able to assist students, answer e-mails, plan, make copies, and do whatever else I need while maximizing my time! I also never wait when I see something that has to be accomplished, and if I absolutely have to put it off, I'll make a reminder to myself with a post-it (electronically) and then move on. For example, yesterday as I was doing the dishes I noticed that the coffee pot was dirty, so I cleaned it and prepped it for the morning. Then, this morning, I was able to just turn it on and go!

8. Keep Fun, Engaging Activities In Your Back Pocket

 To demonstrate to my students that time is valuable and should not be wasted, I always have some rainy day games and activities in my back pocket to use in case we finish our lesson early! The above is a "connect four" type game that we use to review concepts/vocabulary. By always keeping my kids busy and engaged, I subject myself to less discipline problems while showing my kids the importance of staying on task and managing your time!

9. Get Organized

Organizing my science materials helps me manage my time in so many ways. I've always been big on labeling (just ask my college roommates) and I label every bucket, container, cabinet, and drawer in my classroom. It helps substitute teachers, me, and most of all, it helps my kids easily find materials when I ask for their help! Organizing takes time, patience, and practice, and it so worth it!

10. Give Yourself Time for You

I've been much better as the years have passed teaching to schedule time for myself. Whether it's reading on my kindle, watching my DVR, reading blogs, or just browsing on Pinterest, I never become too busy for me. I'm lucky to have an amazing boyfriend who helps me keep up with the "non school busy things" like grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning, and since we work together to accomplish those things it makes my life so much easier, and so much easier to schedule some "me" time. I know things will change when we have kids eventually, but I feel like I am definitely enjoying the moment and life in general right now.