“Either run the day or the day runs you.”  Jim Rohn

I am good at running.  I used to be good at the literal running, but now I’m very mediocre at the literal running.  I am, however, still really good at the metaphorical running of time management.  

I fully understand how to budget time in order to accomplish a variety of tasks within a specified time frame.  I enjoy making lists and checking things off.  There is just something about the simplicity of looking at a crossed off to-do list that brings a certain sense of satisfaction to me.  

In fact, I enjoy checking off my list so much that when I was in college I started writing really easy things on my lists, just so I would have something to quickly check off.  My friend’s mother found that quite funny and ridiculous.  Full disclosure:  I still do this.  

But then I had a reality check.  The ultimate time-management gauntlet.  I started teaching.  

And I learned that I was not as adept at time management as I had originally thought.  And it wasn’t only the day running me, like the opening quote says, but the students.  

And it was myself, too.  Just running myself ragged.  

I had a learning curve for everything classroom related.  From discerning how long it really takes a child to complete a task vs. how long the child thinks it takes, assignment and project timelines, grading, lesson planning, sundry behaviors.  

I was a mess.  In retrospect, there really is a lot of humor to it.  One day I was crossing through the courtyard and a coworker stopped to ask me something.  At the end of our conversation, she informed me that my shirt was inside out.  Oh.  Well, good to know.   I said at least it wasn’t backwards as well.  

Obviously, I had much refinement to do.  And that just comes with teaching:  Perpetual refinement.  

Below are some tips to help smooth out the school days.  I know the audience reading this ranges:  New teachers, veteran teachers, potential teachers, frazzled teachers—the gamut.  But it’s always nice to have some helpful advice or a helpful reminder.  I know I’ve needed a lot of both over the years.

Ten Learned-the-Hard-Way Classroom Tips for Any Grade or Subject

• Be organized.  Whether it’s checklists, spreadsheets, desk calendar, whatever!  Organization will get you through.  I’ve done ESE support for ELA the last few years and lack of organizational skills can easily bring one to tears.  I’ve witnessed it.  And I felt really bad.  Research organizational methods, find one that works for you and use every day.

• Don’t wait till the weekend to plan the following week.  First, this is lousy because it eats into your weekend, which always made me crabby.  Second, it’s lousy because it’s going to be too hasty and you’re more likely to overlook the details.  And when working with 30 sets of eyes staring at you, some of them waiting for you to falter, those details matter.  A lot.

• Utilize and check binders!  I used an exclamation point because this was really hard for me to do.  So hard!  It took several years of trial an error to have this run smoothly.  Binder organization is really important because it teaches students a basic skill that they will need throughout their lives.  Studies have shown that organization is linked to academic success, so it really is important to reinforce this skill.  Binder checks do not need to be, and in fact should not be, complicated and time consuming.  Students are expected to have all their quarterly materials in the order that I (usually) keep posted in the room, so on the day of the binder check I only check to make sure a specific handful of assignments, and not every single one, are in the correct places.  It’s designed to be a very easy grade.

• Use a PPT slide to list the day’s outline.  Now, to be honest, I do think this sounds like a hassle, but it’s actually really fast.  Not everything goes on the slide, but if I’m collecting an assignment, the first thing on the slide is to have that on their desks and ready to pass to the front.  I am not hunting down work.  That isn’t reality.  

• Keep a class sign-out sheet for the bathroom, water fountain, clinic, etc.  It really helps a lot in the event that admin sends out an email about vandalism or other unsavory activities.  Plus, then if a child isn’t doing well in class and a PTC is requested you have exact documentation as to how much time that child is spending outside of the active learning environment.  I have definitely found that useful.

• Children are great fishermen; their favorite catch is red herring.  It’s so easy, especially during year one, to unwittingly allow students to throw red herrings into your well-planned day.  I was definitely guilty of falling prey to their attempts at distraction.  Just knock those herrings out of the boat like a Babe Ruth homerun.  I did finally get very good with a firm, That is not related; moving on.

• Utilize reliable students.  Reliable students can really help you out.  They help with collecting things, passing things back and tattling on their classmates when you have a sub.  I’m not being facetious with that last one.  I always appreciate a student’s loyalty to me to be honest with things I would otherwise be unaware of.

• Protect your time.  Close and lock your door.  If someone knocks, well, I never feel guilty for not opening it.  I actually position my desk so it can’t be seen from the door—just for that reason.  If the phone rings, don’t answer it.  If it’s an off period, no one knows you’re in room.  Just don’t answer it.  You’re making copies, running to the bathroom, whatever.  I am notorious for ignoring the phone when I’m on planning or lunch.  The office doesn’t know I’m in my room hiding so I can do my job in the little peace I get between classes.  

• Don’t have due dates the actual last day of the quarter.  This can be a controversial one amongst teachers.  Some teachers love doing this because it allows students the maximum amount of time to work on a task.  I did this my first year teaching…and then proceeded to completely stress myself out in order to get all of them graded by the time report card grades were due.  That was a fast and easy lesson. After that, I stopped taking any work a week prior to the end of the quarter!

• Don’t procrastinate on grading.  This is similar to the penultimate tip above.  It seems obvious.  But it can be difficult to follow through with.  Especially when you teach ELA like me and you have essays coming in.  Essays are an impending avalanche of doom.  At least to me, haha.  It’s best to chunk due dates.  For example, if you teach honors and regular and both have essays coming up, stagger them so you aren’t bombarded.  Chunk grading them as well and just grade 10 or so essays a day—two before school, two on planning, two on lunch, two after and another two somewhere in there.  Those tiny steps really help a lot.  

“The bad news is time flies.  The good news is you’re the pilot.”  Michael Altshuler

If you need some ELA lessons to help kick off this school year, with included implementation directions to keep you in the pilot’s seat, check out my resources with linked images below.  😊

Happy Teaching!

M.D. Saints
Reading the Rapids
Liberty Dog Writing Co.