How Teachers Time Travel & Double Their Income
by Guy E. White on 20 October, 2014
How do I go home on time (almost) every day?
Are you staying after school almost every day? My first year, I would stay five to seven hours after the school day ended. When I met my wife, I realized this had to stop. Here’s why it’s destructive and avoidable.
My first year teaching, I found myself putting in 5–7 hours every single day after school to accomplish what was “needed” for me to be good teacher. Papers were strewn with red ink; coffee was on constant brew, and my social life revolved entirely around my school life: a pretty lonely existence when leaving campus each night around 7 pm.
When I met my future (now current) lovely bride, I realized that things had to change. How was it that other teachers that I greatly respected, knowing how great they were in the classroom, were able to leave many hours earlier than me and still get the same things done?
This article is about the answer I discovered from others and a system I developed for myself.
This subject got a lot of attention in my previous article about how to make more money as a teacher. Many teachers (on social media) did not imagine that I could be serious about leaving at the end of each school day: they do not think it is possible. Some even suggested that I taught some elective class that was not rigorous. Here’s what they’re missing.
1. Teach Like Your Time Depends on It
Who says you have to grade an entire essay at once? I have students write a paragraph at a time, individually counsel them at their desks, and have them write corrections immediately. I teach them exactly how to write each sentence, step-by-step. When students submit independent work to me, it’s only after rigorous teaching, self-assessment, peer-assessment, and individual consultations with me during class. The same logic could apply to both science and math. Do more step-by-step teaching. The less time I am at my desk during the class day, the less time I have to spend there after class time.
2. Schedule Office Hours
Students, parents, and peers will need your attention outside of class time. This is part of the life of being a teacher. However, what kills productivity and one’s schedule is the randomness of it all. Set a time each week that you are available for phone consultations and one-on-one meetings with students. For me, Wednesday at lunch and after school is my day to give one hour.
3. Check Email Twice Each Day
Email is largely an organizing tool for the priorities of others. Personally, I cannot stand when someone is emailing me last minute to obtain something from me they should have told me about two weeks ago. I reject that. Emails are read and answered at 10 am and 2 pm.
4. Shun Needless Meetings
As I discussed in this article, meetings are a part of an educator’s life but are, largely, completely unproductive and, frankly, a complete waste of time and resources. When I am working with a team, my preference is that everyone make a concrete list of what they are actually going to accomplish that week and send it via email. The expectation is that those things will get done. When collaboration and creation is needed, that’s when to meet.
5. Train Others That Your Time is Valuable
Face it: your time is in short supply. Provide the best you can within the time allotted. I give my students, colleagues, parents, and allies the best value possible within the time that I can. However, outside of that, I make sure that I provide specific slots of availability and accept nothing short of a good use of my time.
What do you think? Is this possible? Let me know why I am wrong!
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