Oh, planning time. Does anyone have a love hate relationship with planning time? We have it. We need it. Sometimes it is hard to get things done.
The planning time rush:
Do you have meetings during your planning time? Do you ever stop by to see a coworker and before you know it your whole planning time is gone? You are not alone! Planning time never seems to be long enough, and nevertheless our to do lists as teachers are always growing.
The productive planning time:
Imagine the end of the week- it is Friday afternoon. Your lesson outlines are done. Your copies are made. Your grades are entered. You are ready to enjoy the weekend without bringing work home. Remember- life isn’t all about school.
Ready to take back your planning time? Let’s talk about that.
I am routine orientated so putting systems in place helps me be more productive throughout the week. This goes for my personal life and my school life. The school day can really fly by and it is hard for me to get all of my tasks done if I don’t have a plan to tackle my jobs.
I try to complete different tasks at different times of the day to remain on top of the week. For example, every morning I check my copies, set up for the day, and respond to emails. During planning time I attend meetings, lesson plan, make and sort copies. After school I straighten up my room and respond to emails again. I know that I am less productive in the afternoon, so I don’t leave anything that requires a lot of brain power (like lesson planning and grading) for after school. It just doesn’t work for me.
Things shift from week to week at times, but having a general routine in mind helps me get things done efficiently and stay prepared.
Check out a weekly view of my normal schedule here:
The only thing I may do during my lunch time is answer an email or two. I do not bring any work home unless it is wrapping up report cards. It is important to me to find a good home and school balance.
All in all..
Planning time can be super unstructured. For myself, I found it really easy to get off task. Identifying a few things that I need to keep up with each week, and sometimes having deadlines in place has been helpful for me to stay really productive AND still have time to attend meetings and visit with my coworkers.
Ready to plan your planning routine?
If you’re wanting to create some daily routine lists of your own, you can click here to check out my weekly list template for free. You can also check out how I use Google Keep on my YouTube Channel or on my Blog. It is a great digital tool for staying organized and creating checklists.