5 Weird Steps Teachers Take for a Productive Day

by Guy E. White on 2 October, 2014

What weird steps give great teachers the best days ever? Find out here.

How do some teachers have zero grading to do at home while others have hours? What allows some teachers to be available for students and still get all administrative tasks completely finished during their day? Five weird steps can change everything.

In the last decade, I’ve discovered that more and more demands are being placed on teachers. There are more forms to fill out, more paperwork to process, more reports to make, and more emails to which to respond. The list goes on and on and it keeps getting longer. Are you having the same experience?

Still, through a set of repeated, daily steps, I’ve been able to double my full-engagement time with my students, nearly eliminate or completely minimize distracting administrative tasks, and seriously downsize my stress through five steps.

Step #1: Start the Day With a List

I spend the first ten minutes of the day writing a list of all the tasks I need to attend to today. I place stars next to those items that would make the most difference to me and my students.

Step #2: Email and Voicemail at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Email is one of the greatest time-sucks of a teacher’s life. To the chagrin of a few, I see email as an organizing list for other peoples’ priorities. Last-minute email requests are selfish. So, I discipline myself to only examine and send emails twice each day. More urgent matters will find their way to my desk.

Step #3: Collect Items in Stacks and Sequences

Long gone is the time I said, “Pass forward your work.” Instead, I individually collect assignments one at a time from students. I can create pre-alphabetized piles and counsel those that do not submit work.

Step #4: Lunch Is Mostly for Me

Some lunches are for helping students. Most lunches are times for me to reset my body and brain for the remainder of the day.

Step #5: Complete All Work Within the School Day

Work fills the time allowed for its completion. Allow less time and work still tends to get completed.

What are your tips for teachers? How do you make your day productive?

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