As an instructional coach, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing teachers. Besides being excellent in the classroom, many of them have also picked up some good time management skills along the way.

Here’s a list of some of my favorites. Pick and choose the tips that might work for you!

1 – First of all – you need a notebook or agenda for Planning. Not for lesson planning. Just for planning other things you need/want to do, as well as what you need to do to take care of yourself.

Some notebook/agenda options:
*composition notebook and another option
*academic planner
*fancier option!

Planning ahead:

2 – Pay attention to when you have the most Energy during the day. Make note of that time. As much as possible, use that time for your “deep work” – planning and anything else that requires your focused attention.

3 – Have a location for everything you need for each lesson/class of the day. Many teachers use those stackable storage bins or carts. It helps to keep any teacher manuals, worksheet copies, and manipulatives in one central location.
Stackable desk trays and another option
Utility cart
Stackable drawers and another option

4 – Plan some “buffer” time. You know that, no matter how organized you are, stuff always comes up to interfere with your best-laid plans. Knowing that you have scheduled some time to just “catch up” during the week will keep you from stressing about how the heck you’re going to fit everything into your already packed schedule.

5 – Look ahead. What’s coming up on your calendar/schedule two weeks from now? What can you do now to prepare and keep those tasks from becoming overwhelming?

An example of this would be progress reports or report cards. If you see that the due date for those is coming up soon, think of what you could do now to help make that an easier process. Finish grading an assignment? Make notes for comments? Prep meals now so that you’ll have food available during that busy week?

6 – Plan for fun events with your class. This helps all of you feel more connected to each other and helps you to relax and enjoy your students. Maybe you could earn some extra recess time? Watch a video that connects to something you are learning in science or social studies? Enjoy some extra read-aloud time? When you think of a good idea, jot it down so you have some options whenever you feel like your class deserves a fun break.

7 – Organize your next week on Friday, not on Monday morning. This helps you to wrap up the week and put everything away for the weekend. The only tasks you should be doing on the weekend are “heck, yes” tasks, if you have time and if you have the mental energy to do them.

Morning tasks:

8 – Try Mel Robbins’ High Five Habit. Starting your day with a reminder to yourself that you are strong and you can do whatever you need to do today is a powerful habit to develop. (Another favorite book of mine is Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule.)

9 – Keep a post-it note of your three (just three) tasks that you absolutely have to (or absolutely want to) get done for the day. Meetings don’t count. This is for planning or prep work that you want to get done. Keeping the list to just three items helps you to focus on what is absolutely most important. If you have time and energy for other tasks, fine, but make sure your top three tasks are done first.

10 – Read and answer email three times a day – once in the morning, once during the middle of the day (middle = any time that works for you – it doesn’t have to be lunchtime), and then once at the end of the day. If something is an emergency, you will be notified in some other way besides email. Try not to check your email in the evening or any time you are at home. Checking email incessantly and responding immediately can be a major time suck.

11 – When you do sit down to deal with email, set aside a few minutes to read, respond to, or delete each one.

During your “planning time”:

12 – Plan your planning time! What one or two tasks are you doing to try to complete during this time? Similar to making that top three tasks in the morning, don’t frustrate yourself by trying to get too many tasks done. Plan for one or two. If you can get more done, fine. If not, fine.

13 – If you prefer to not be disturbed during your planning time, either go to another location (a table in the library, a co-worker’s empty office). You could also consider closing your door and putting a sign on it that says something like “genius at work” or “work in progress – please do not disturb”.

14 – Batch your tasks. Make all your copies at one time. Grade all your math quizzes at one time. Prep all your reading group plans at one time. Create all your slides or teaching resources at the same time. You get the idea. This saves you time because you spend one time getting ready to do the task instead of getting ready multiple times.

During the day:

15 – Go to the office/mailroom and check your mailbox only once a day. Running into people there can be a time suck.

16 – Train your students to do as much of the organization and clean-up in your classroom as possible. Can they straighten tables and chairs at the end of the day? Pick up papers and pencils off the floor? (And how does all that stuff end up on the floor anyway?!) Clean off counters? Organize papers to be graded? Think of chores that you are currently doing but that you could train some responsible students (or your entire class) to do.

17 – Work with your PLC or grade level team to share tasks like making copies, writing newsletters, prepping materials for science experiments, etc.

18 – Take a real lunch break. I am the worst about giving this advice but not actually following it myself. But when I do take the time to step away from my desk and computer, it makes a big difference in my energy levels for the rest of the day. Try it, even for just a few minutes.

19 – Keep what you need for planning or grading with you when you go to meetings, assemblies, etc. Use those small moments of downtime to get a few things done while you’re waiting. (This also works for other appointments outside of school – while you’re waiting for a doctor or dentist appointment, waiting to pick up your children from an activity, etc.).

20 – Speaking of grading/assessing – Carefully consider what really needs to be graded and what can just be checked for completion. Another option is to spot-check only certain questions or problems (all the even-numbered problems, for example).

21 – Set boundaries for yourself. I wrote an entire post about that HERE. You don’t have to say yes to everything, just because you are asked. If you want to do a task and it works for your current time and energy levels, go ahead. But if it doesn’t work, then say no.

22 – Set up systems and routines for your classroom and teach them to your students. Practice them over and over. Implement any necessary consequences for not following the routines, once your students have learned and practiced them. This will keep you sane and your students will also appreciate knowing what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it.

End of the day:

23 – Make a stress log. I wrote about it in this post.​ I got the idea from Marie Forleo in her awesome book Everything is Figureoutable.

Here’s how to do it:
Open a new page in a notebook. List all the things that stress you out, no matter how big or how small. Next to each thing that stresses you out, write ONE thing you could do that would make it better in some way. Then choose ONE stressor and try your solution. When that is done, choose another. Make your way down the list.

24 – Set “leave” times for yourself daily. Some days you may be able to leave earlier than others. If you do, try to stick to that time and be as productive as possible during the day. If you need to set one day a week (or every couple of weeks) for staying later and finishing up nagging tasks, schedule that day and make a plan for it.

25 – Make a list of five things that went well during the day. No matter what went wrong, no matter what did not get done – focus on what you DID do well. Be proud of that. Give yourself a high five.

There you have it. 25 tips to help you to be more focused and efficient with your time during the school day. Let me know how they work for you!