When I think back to my first year of teaching, I remember how difficult it was. I loved working with the kids, but managing my time and getting everything done while still having a personal life was so tough! I wish I would have had someone to really sit down and help me discover how to manage my time! That’s why I want to share these 5 time management tips for new teachers with you. Stop asking how you can get from under the piles of papers and endless meetings, and start taking back your time.
Time Management Tip #1: Start with strong routines and procedures.
When your students understand what to do every time they come in the room and during every rotation, station, and content area focus, your classroom (almost) starts to run itself. This saves you time correcting behaviors and reteaching content. Of course, you’ll still have students that misbehave or don’t grasp the material, but when you pre-teach how things go and flow, you’ll save yourself a lot of time (and extra parent meetings)!
Time Management Tip #2: Organize your classroom.
It’s hard to keep on-task and ready-to-go when things are all over the place. Organize your classroom bins and folders with labels that let you and your students know where everything goes. This also makes sub plans a huge time saver. Your guest teachers will be able to see that everything has its place, and when the students are aware of where things go, it saves time for both you and the teachers visiting your classroom.
Time Management Tip #3: Use digital grading tools.
Google Forms save me HOURS! I love creating quizzes that auto-score on Google Forms. These are perfect for even the youngest learners because you can embed pictures for questions and use simple multiple choice or written response answers. When you choose a quiz option, you can make an answer key and have all the quizzes auto-scored. You can even divide and conquer creating quizzes with other teachers in your school, grade level, or district. Save tons of time using auto-grading through tools like Google Forms.
Time Management Tip #4: Don’t grade everything.
Speaking of grading, not everything has to be recorded in the gradebook! Choose essential things to grade to measure student progress and understanding. If they have a math assignment, for example, check 2-3 problems on a page to make sure they are proficient at the skill. Informal checks in class through discussion or group work can be just as valuable as recorded grades. You’ll burn out quickly if you grade everything. Don’t do it!
Time Management Tip #5: Ask for help.
Remember how I said I wish that someone would have taught me how to manage my time early in my career? Help is here! My New Teacher Masterclass is designed to help new teachers or those looking to improve their practice with time management skills and all the resources you need to make your school year (and years ahead) go smoothly. Not only will you have lifetime access to 30 training videos and downloadable materials, you’ll also be able to interact with a private Facebook community that will help you feel less alone in your new career.
I am so excited you are embarking on your career as a teacher. Don’t let time management get you down. Take to heart these 5 time management tips for new teachers, and have a great year!
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