time management

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Home : 2004 : August : 29

time management
By Lydia

I am also a first year teacher and this is what I was told.

Don't take you work home with you. Your job needs to be kept seperate from your home life our you will burn out in the first five years.As a first year teacher
you are obviously going to have to put more work into it than 10 year veterans, but don't let it run your life. Kids are going to learn no matter what you do, but of course you dictate how much.
I took a survey of teachers in my school when I student taught and the majority of them told me that you don't really get the hang of it until your third year. So don't expect miracles right

away!!!

What I do to stay sane is this:
Get to school 20 minutes before the kids are let into your classroom. Leave half the lights off and get your mind ready for the day. Don't use this time to try to run around and make copies, etc. Use it to relax and focus. Run over in your head what your goals are for the day. Find a mantra and repeat it to yourself "Today I will succeed."

Use your planning period wisely. I see many teachers chat and waste time. Use it to make copies or plan like it was designed for.

Stay at school to finish what you need to do. I stay after school and plan for that day the next week. EX: If it is Monday plan for next Monday... Grade now when your mind is fresh from the lesson. Get everything ready for the next day so if something happens and you're late everything is ready. I ALWAYS leave the school building by 5. An hour and a half should be plenty.

Use your ride home as a relaxing and letting go time. I'm not sure if you like music or not, but I always turn a CD up really loud, sing to the music and take the less stressful way home. By the time I get home I am happy and I know tomorrow I don't have to panic.