Inside: Do you ever feel overwhelmed with your teacher to-do list? Would you like to know how to organise your tasks to save valuable time in the classroom in an easy 3 step system?
My shoulders were hunched low and my gut was churning. I was facing a sea of sticky notes posted all over my laptop screen. The burden of my teacher’s to-do list was becoming too heavy to carry. How could I pull myself out from under this clutter of nagging tags all vying for my valuable time?
Do you feel like this?
Life as a teacher often sees us with a list of ‘to-dos’ that never ends.
I have found the answer! It’s easy! Keep reading for a simple system that will help you to save valuable time in the classroom and get you organised; in three easy steps.
If you want to save valuable time in the classroom – try this!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE RESOURCE
This to-do list system was originally called the Intentional Procrastinators list-making system. I stumbled upon it when things were dire for me. I downloaded what seemed a simple weekly to-do list from Teach 4 the Heart hoping to help with my time management, my classroom organisation and how to lose 5 pounds!
Ha Ha! Well, not the last one! I could have done with that too, but I DEFINITELY NEEDED HELP with my time management!
This list system is simple in itself; it’s just listing out your tasks. But it is in the use of the system where the beauty of the time management comes in, flowing through to saving your valuable time in the classroom.
Let me explain further.
The easy 3 Steps System explained:
Please read the following steps after downloading the free printable system that I have created to help save you valuable time. I use it myself every day at school: FREE Time Management Tool here.
Here is where the magic of this list system comes in.
Step 1: Do a brain dump!
To really save valuable time in the classroom, this step is a game-changer, especially if you are an over-thinker like me.
Teachers think about things a lot. I would often lie awake at night, with the drumming of my to-do list pounding in my head. Many times I would awake early still with these thoughts unabating.
Early in my teaching career, as a new professional, I remember feeling this overwhelm. The onslaught of thoughts became too much. Questions confounded me: how will I set up my classroom? What behaviour management system was I going to use? Where was the photocopier? This never-ending march of questions and things to do kept me awake for days. I had to write it all down… I think this first list of jobs to do was 7 pages long!
This is what is called a brain dump.
It wasn’t until I wrote it all down, that I could even think about settling down for sleep.
This brain dump is the first step of this to-do list system. It is a great exercise especially at the beginning of any school year or new term. This is when I find the list of to-dos overwhelmingly long. I’m sure you know what I mean!
So WRITE them all down! Get them out of your head! Even if it is in the middle of the night.
This step is very THERAPEUTIC! I now keep a notebook next to my bed at all times so I can write down whatever pops into my head.
Done! No need to keep thinking about your to-do list any more! Give it a go for yourself.
Step 2: Prioritize your weekly job list
For the next step in this system, you’ll need your written brain dump. Your task is to now systematically sort all of your jobs into a daily prioritized list – Monday through to Friday. (I find it useful to do this at the beginning of your school week.)
Tip: To prioritise your to-do list, think about when all of your tasks are needed to be completed. Some, you’ll find aren’t as urgent, but you’ll want to remember them anyway.
If they are urgent, transfer each ‘to-do’ from your brain dump into the day that it needs to be completed by.
This is where the clever to-do list helps you save valuable time in the classroom
This action of prioritising your tasks is the key to any clever time management for you as a teacher — your new daily task list, will now only have things on it that need to be done for that day!
This weekly to-do list is what will save you so much valuable time in the classroom and help you to get all of your jobs done. There is now no longer any need to procrastinate or feel the burden of a huge to-do list anymore because you are intentionally procrastinating! — this frees up so much thinking energy.
Now, scan your new to-do list
Look at your tasks. Take in this ‘thing of beauty’ you’ve created! You’ll realise that each day’s list might only have 5-6 items on it. That’s all! Other days might have more, some might have less. Knowing this will help you to schedule your week and prioritise your time accordingly.
Use this prioritising process to break down larger projects with extended due dates. Chunk the time-intensive projects into smaller tasks for each day and successfully time-manage each project.
This is working smart!
I can’t highlight enough how life-transforming it is to know at a glance what you need to do on each day of your teaching week!
Using this system has helped me become so much better at planning my week and helped to stop the teacher overwhelm too!
Another wonderful benefit of this exercise of prioritising your weekly tasks is that it will help keep you calmer. When you can actually see that your list is not as long as you originally thought, your brain can relax! You’ll also know that nothing will get forgotten too! Yay!!
Step 3: Complete only the tasks for that day
There is so much power in this next step!
Now, that you have organised and prioritised your list for each day of the week, ONLY DO WHAT IS ON THAT LIST FOR THE DAY! That’s it. Don’t feel obligated to do ANY more (if you don’t need to).
But…don’t forget the next crucial part…
As you complete each task, CROSS IT OFF!. This is a must!
CROSS OFF YOUR JOBS AND MARK YOUR DAY COMPLETE!
This act of crossing off jobs when completed is a well-known strategy by many great time managers. It may seem insignificant, but there is power in the action of crossing off the jobs for the day. The burden lifts!
When all tasks are complete, do one final line through all tasks.
This is the key!
This action will signal your brain that your day is done and you can feel empowered to relax after you get home.
(I learnt this time-management tip from one very clever teacher called Angela Watson. She has a wonderful podcast called Truth for Teachers and an amazing program called the 40 Hour Teacher Work Week – see my Recommendations page about this great time-saving program).
N.B. Don’t forget, if needed, your tasks can be forwarded to the next week to finish (only if you know that you have time for these tasks).
Get the List system here:
Download my super easy List Making System here to help you get organised and work smarter in the classroom.
With this type of to-do list system, you can see where the intentional procrastinating idea comes in – you only do the jobs that are needed for that day and refuse to feel guilty about the rest.
One Final Tip to save valuable time in the classroom:
Bind Your List!
I found that to stop the problem of losing sheets, it’s helpful to print all of your weekly pages for the whole term and staple or bind them together. This makes it so easy to grab your list while you’re on the go, write down your tasks and also have a record of what you’ve accomplished over the weeks.
I use my bound list to refer back to previous week’s lists whenever I want. I also like to be able to take my list with me and add things when they come to mind. (in bed or after I’ve gotten home from school)
How this system has helped me save valuable time in the classroom:
This time management system has helped me solve the problem of being disorganised. I write it all down and I know nothing gets forgotten.
I also no longer feel so burdened with my to-do list. And my laptop’s screen is no longer plastered with sticky notes! Yay!
Follow my lead and get more organised today! You won’t forget anything and you will feel like you are accomplishing everything you need to do on a daily basis. This will save you valuable time in the classroom!
Get yours for FREE! Just click here:
GET MY CLEVER TO-DO LIST SYSTEM HERE
Remember you are worth it!
Michelle x
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