I don’t have to tell you that this is a busy time of year. If your “to-do” list is anything like mine, it feels like more stuff gets added to it every day and not enough tasks are checked off.
Any time I am overwhelmed (not just during the holiday season), I try to remind myself to focus on what I AM accomplishing and what IS going well. One way I do that is by making brain dump lists.
Here are some examples of how to do that at any time of the year.
Make a list of:
*all the good moments that happened in your classroom in the course of a day
*all the good qualities about a difficult student (or colleague)
*growth you are seeing in your students in any areas
*all the good moments that happened in your personal life in the course of a day
*all of the things you DID get done today
*every positive interaction you had with anyone else during the day
*every single good thing from the day, starting from when you got up in the morning.
You don’t have to list every single thing. This isn’t an assignment. This is just a way to get you to notice that, no matter how bad the day might have seemed, there are plenty of good things that happen in the course of any given day.
Other ways to put positivity in your life on a regular basis:
*keep a daily gratitude list. Try to write down five things for which you are grateful every morning and every evening. These don’t have to be big things (like your spouse/partner or kids). They can be small things, like your cup of coffee.
*leave positive comments on other people’s profiles on social media
*write a quick thank you note, email or text to someone
*add a post-it note to your planner (personal planner, teacher planner, or both) – jot down one or two positive things that happened in the course of the day (you can always add more, but start with just one or two so you don’t feel like this is one more thing to do)
*and finally – write a thank-you note or email to yourself. Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but try it anyway. Just start writing. What have you accomplished? What have you learned? What are you doing better now? Don’t overthink it -just write. Email it to yourself (maybe schedule it to send a week from now?) or put the thank-you note in your planner to read at a later date.
Please note – this is not to deny that there are hard things in our lives. Right now I am dealing with putting my mom into an assisted living facility. All I’m saying is that there are always blessings in our lives if we look for them. Hard things are hard. But looking for the good can make the hard things a little easier to bear.
If you are a person of faith, the words of Paul in Philippians 4:8 are worth memorizing:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things.”
As I write this, it’s the holiday season and I have way too much to do. But I have learned a few tricks from friends through the years that really help me to stay productive and healthy, even when my schedule is full.
Here are ten tips that work for me.
1 – follow my morning routine. Morning routines can be whatever you want them to be, but creating one and following it most of the time is helpful for setting up your day. If you want some ideas for setting up your perfect morning routine, read my post HERE.
3 – get seven hours of sleep a night. I really prefer eight hours, but seven hours will do when I’m busy. I just have to commit to going to bed on time to ensure I get those seven hours.
4 – work out in some form five or six days a week. This doesn’t have to be boot camp. Just moving your body in some way that you enjoy will make a huge difference in your energy level and in the way you feel. I tend to work out in the morning because that works for me. Find a time during the day that works for you and get started.
5 – find the right food plan and follow it. I do intermittent fasting and tend to eat one big meal and a snack every day. That works for me. Find what works for you. (If you want to know more about intermittent fasting, two of my favorite books are Fast, Feast, Repeat by Gin Stephens and Waist Away: The Chantel Ray Way by Chantel Ray.
6 – brain dump all the things that you need to do. I keep a gigantic list going but I also organize and prioritize that list. (I’ll write another post to show more about how I do it. Stay tuned.) To get started, just write down everything that comes to mind that you need to do. You could try keeping lists on separate pages (home, work, holiday prep, family, etc.) OR you could put some code letters or words beside each task on your list.
The next thing you need to do is identify which items really must be done first. It’s easy to think that every single thing is important and that everything needs to get done right away but it doesn’t. Identify the most urgent tasks, get those done, then move on to the next tasks.
7 – for every “work” session (early morning, late morning, early afternoon, late afternoon, evening), try to limit what must be done to three tasks (no more than five). Focus on doing those most important tasks first, then move on to other things on your list if you have time.
8 – take breaks. Get up and walk away from your desk. After you complete a task, do some small chore that makes you feel more organized or makes your space cleaner. Take a real lunch break. Walk outside and get some fresh air. Do some yoga stretches.
9 – take a little bit of time to read something that inspires you every day. It could be a Bible study or devotional or some kind of self-improvement book. Even just a few minutes helps give you some perspective and focus on what’s most important.
10 – ask for help! Seriously – who says you have to do it all? Delegate tasks, hire some help, let people know that you need some help! Do not feel guilty about that.
Self-care has become the big buzzword in education. Everyone knows it’s important, but self-care practices aren’t necessarily the first thing you think of when you’re stressed.
So let’s develop a plan that you can pull out when you need it.
Step 1 – Think about what self-care practices you are currently doing when you’re stressed. Are your practices positive or negative?
Here are examples of some practices that would be considered positive:
Meditation, listening to music, reading, going for a walk, getting outside in nature, listening to music, calling, or visiting with a friend.
And here are examples of some practices that would be considered negative:
Overeating, drinking too much wine, biting your fingernails, withdrawing from family and friends, yelling at your kids or husband/partner.
No judgment here. Just identify these for yourself. What do you currently do when you’re stressed and is that practice a positive or a negative?
Step 2 – think about different areas of self-care, what you are currently doing in those areas, and what practices you might want to try.
Here are examples of each area of self-care and some practices in each.
Physical – eating healthy food, going to bed on time, exercising.
Emotional – acknowledging all the good that you are doing already, expressing emotions in a healthy way, expressing gratitude.
Social – making time for friends/family, asking for support, having regular date nights.
Spiritual – meditation, reading inspirational literature, Bible reading, spending time in nature.
Professional – developing time management skills, pursuing or maintaining positive relationships with co-workers, developing appropriate work-life “balance” (knowing that balance shifts in different seasons).
Financial – working on paying off debt, following a reasonable budget, avoiding credit card debt.
Psychological – spending time by yourself, avoiding digital devices for a period of time, journaling, learning a new skill.
Which practices are you currently doing in each area? Which practices could you try to incorporate?
Step 3 – make an “emergency self-care plan.”
You’ve probably heard the diet advice about having something healthy available when you get hungry so that you won’t reach for junk when you’re starving.
Making an emergency self-care plan is the same idea. When you’re under stress, you may not choose the healthiest options.
Think about helpful activities you could choose in the following areas, as well as what you think you should probably avoid.
Relaxation – what helps you relax? What is a harmful activity you should avoid?
Thought patterns – what would be helpful affirmations to tell yourself? What harmful thoughts should you avoid?
Social support – who would be supportive people? Who should you avoid?
Mood – what kinds of things tend to put you in a good mood? What could put you in a bad mood?
Being prepared BEFORE you hit a roadblock will help you navigate the stress in a healthier way. Let me know how this works for you!
With the Thanksgiving break behind us and three weeks to go before winter break, it’s a great time to re-establish some good routines and procedures in your classroom. Helping your students to focus might be one of those!
What do you do when you notice that your students are not focused? If you tend to get frustrated or to start fussing at them (very normal reactions), these tips are for you! Here’s how to get your students back on track without losing your patience.
1 – Stop and take a deep breath. Calm yourself down first. Just the act of stopping – stop talking, stop walking or pacing, stop showing whatever you’re showing, stop demonstrating if you’ve been demonstrating – makes a difference and gets your students’ attention. It might sound crazy, but calming yourself first really helps.
2 – When you do resume speaking, lower your voice. A lower voice register also helps bring calm to your classroom.
3 – If your students are doing something that is pulling them off track (drawing/doodling when they’re supposed to be watching something, talking to someone, reading when they’re supposed to be watching or listening, playing with the amazing variety of “fidgets” that are marketed as helping kids focus – but often just become another distracting toy) – calmly and kindly tell them to stop. Ask them to put away whatever is distracting them. Explain to them that you, too, often mess with objects in your environment (implying that they’re not “bad” for doing it), but that you recognize those objects can keep you from focusing on what you need to be focused on right now.
If it’s only a few students who need help getting refocused:
4 – If it’s only a few students who are off track, try not to make a big deal about it in front of the whole class (thus embarrassing them in front of their peers). But do have a private conversation with them about the distracting behavior as soon as you can do so.
5 – Does a student need a change of location? Sometimes kids get distracted by where they are sitting. Offering them the option to move somewhere else in the classroom and do their work there can make all the difference.
6 – If you and your students are comfortable with it, a gentle hand on a shoulder or arm, or back can be a gentle redirection (or a gentle reassurance for doing a good job of focusing).
7 – Remember the “teacher look?” This doesn’t have to be a threatening look! But just making eye contact with a student who is off-task can help them to get back on track. Once they are back on track, give them your best teacher smile.
8 – Praise the class for what most of them are doing. Name the specific behaviors that they’re doing that are helping them to do their best work and learn. (Sometimes that’s all the non-focused students need to hear to get themselves re-focused.)
If it’s your whole class that needs to refocus:
9 – Move around your classroom as much as you can. This doesn’t work for everything – sometimes you have to demonstrate something on the board or under the document camera. But as soon as you are able, circulate around the classroom. There’s an old saying “a teacher on his/her feet is worth more than ten in a seat.” Just your proximity to students and your kind comments and redirection can make a big difference.
10 – As you circulate around the classroom, stop and ask individual students how they’re doing or if they need something. This gives students a chance to check in with themselves and let you know if there really is something that they need.
11 – Set a timer. Let your students know that you want them to complete a task within a certain amount of time. Display a visual timer if you’re able to do that. Sometimes, knowing there is a limited amount of time, helps students to refocus and complete a task.
12 – Do you ever use call and response methods with your class? This can be very effective to reset and refocus. Angela Watson has a great list of call and response options HERE.
13 – Redirect with a question:
Can someone remind us of what we need to be doing right now?
Stop and check yourself – what are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing?
Are you on track? If not, think about what you need to do to get yourself back on track.
14 – If your entire class appears off in la-la land, it’s time to stop. Just stop teaching and ask them if they need a quick brain break.
Besides helping to get your students refocused, there are compelling scientific reasons why the brain thrives on these breaks. When the brain is on overload, learning cannot occur. So just cramming in more and more information is not going to help. You’re better off just stopping, taking a brain break with your students, and then getting back to business.
In addition, your attention to your students’ emotions and needs goes a long way towards making you and your classroom feel like a “safe” place to be (helping to meet one of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Plus, they’re fun for everyone and we could all use a little more fun!
Here are some easy brain breaks to try:
*jumping jacks
*yoga stretches
*reaching toward the sky, then touching your toes
*playing some fun music and just letting kids move
*if you’re able to do so, going outside and walking or running for a few minutes
Staying focused for a long period of time can be a challenge for all of us. Showing your students that you understand how hard that can be and redirecting in some positive, helpful ways can make all the difference in your classroom.
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase by now – we need to “Maslow before Bloom.” What does it mean and how do we do that?
The phrase itself refers to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In Maslow’s theory, there are five levels of needs.
The most basic is physiological needs (air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing). The next level is safety needs (personal security, resources, health, property). The third level is love and belonging (friendship, family, sense of connection).
Next come esteem needs (respect, self-esteem, status, recognition, freedom). And the highest level is self-actualization, or the desire to be the best one can be. You can read more about the theory and levels of needs HERE.
(And if you need a quick refresher on Bloom’s taxonomy, here you go!)
Even without looking at the pyramid, teachers know that students cannot learn well if they’re hungry or sleepy or if their clothing is not appropriate for the weather. Teachers also know that students find it difficult to learn when they don’t feel safe, when they feel sick, or if they don’t have the appropriate resources (pencils, for instance).
But that third level is especially interesting. The need for love and belonging is something that many of us feel is very important but at odds with the focus on how much instructional time should be spent on math or reading, etc. Especially in this year of “re-entry” to our school buildings, we are noticing that many students still feel somewhat disconnected and are often having to be taught basic social skills, how to show respect for others, and what types of behaviors are appropriate (or not) in school.
What are some good ways to help students feel more connected and emotionally safe in our classrooms, without adding even more to our overflowing plates?
The good news is that many strategies that help students are strategies that also help teachers enjoy their students more. Most of them can be fit into small moments of the day. Best of all, you don’t have to do all of them. Just pick one or two and see how they work for you.
1 – Greet your students at the door in the morning (or when you change classes). This is the easiest way to check in with each student briefly and get a “temperature check” on how students are doing. It doesn’t solve everything, but it does help to start the day on a positive note with every student feeling “seen.”
2 – Hold class meetings or morning circles. I wrote a post about getting these started and they continue to be one of the most effective strategies I’ve ever used. They don’t have to be lengthy. Just a brief gathering every morning to check in with every student is very effective.
3 – Try using dialogue journals with your students. While this is a more time-consuming strategy, many teachers feel that the time invested is well worth it. Here is how I implemented these journals in my classroom.
5 – Speaking of read-aloud, #classroombookaday is a great tradition to start in your classroom. Here’s more information about how to implement it.
6 – Revisit some activities that are often used at the beginning of the year. You can pull these out whenever you and your class need a change of routine or a little boost. I’ve got lots of ideas HERE and HERE.
7 – January is a typical time to “reset” your classroom. After winter break (or any break), everyone tends to need a little reminder about procedures and routines. Regardless of the time of year – you can reset any time! Here are some tips in my January reset posts HERE and HERE.
8 – Social-emotional learning (SEL) became a big buzzword (and a long-overdue focus) during distance learning. Here is a post I wrote about some of my favorite SEL strategies.
9 – Offer frequent breaks throughout the day. Here’s a link to a great article on Edutopia
with research explaining how and why frequent breaks benefit students. “Breaks” doesn’t have to mean recess. Exercise or movement breaks in the classroom, a quick fresh air break outside (bonus for running or jumping), dance breaks, and yoga stretches all count. Other breaks might include opportunities to do some kind of art (even playing with play-dough) or mindfulness/deep breathing activities.
10 – Use Google forms as a way to check in with your students. I used these a lot during distance learning (here is a sample of one from very early in the pandemic). But they are great for using once a week or so in your classroom. Similar to dialogue journals, they are a private way for students to communicate with you and tell you whatever they want you to know.
Attending to our students’ physical and emotional needs is just as important as the content we teach them. Yes, it’s a big demand on our time and energy, but the payoff is huge when we see our students feeling happy, connected, and ready to learn.
As an instructional coach, I have had the privilege of working with some amazing teachers. Besides being excellent in the classroom, many of them have also picked up some good time management skills along the way.
Here’s a list of some of my favorites. Pick and choose the tips that might work for you!
1 – First of all – you need a notebook or agenda for planning. Not for lesson planning. Just for planning other things you need/want to do, as well as what you need to do to take care of yourself.
2 – Pay attention to when you have the most energy during the day. Make note of that time. As much as possible, use that time for your “deep work” – planning and anything else that requires your focused attention.
3 – Have a location for everything you need for each lesson/class of the day. Many teachers use those stackable storage bins or carts. It helps to keep any teacher manuals, worksheet copies, and manipulatives in one central location. Stackable desk trays and another option Utility cart Stackable drawers and another option
4 – Plan some “buffer” time. You know that, no matter how organized you are, stuff always comes up to interfere with your best-laid plans. Knowing that you have scheduled some time to just “catch up” during the week will keep you from stressing about how the heck you’re going to fit everything into your already packed schedule.
5 – Look ahead. What’s coming up on your calendar/schedule two weeks from now? What can you do now to prepare and keep those tasks from becoming overwhelming?
An example of this would be progress reports or report cards. If you see that the due date for those is coming up soon, think of what you could do now to help make that an easier process. Finish grading an assignment? Make notes for comments? Prep meals now so that you’ll have food available during that busy week?
journal
6 – Plan for fun events with your class. This helps all of you feel more connected to each other and helps you to relax and enjoy your students. Maybe you could earn some extra recess time? Watch a video that connects to something you are learning in science or social studies? Enjoy some extra read-aloud time? When you think of a good idea, jot it down so you have some options whenever you feel like your class deserves a fun break.
7 – Organize your next week on Friday, not on Monday morning. This helps you to wrap up the week and put everything away for the weekend. The only tasks you should be doing on the weekend are “heck, yes” tasks, if you have time and if you have the mental energy to do them.
Morning tasks:
8 – Try Mel Robbins’ High Five Habit. Starting your day with a reminder to yourself that you are strong and you can do whatever you need to do today is a powerful habit to develop. (Another favorite book of mine is Mel Robbins’ Five Second Rule.)
9 – Keep a post-it note of your three (just three) tasks that you absolutely have to (or absolutely want to) get done for the day. Meetings don’t count. This is for planning or prep work that you want to get done. Keeping the list to just three items helps you to focus on what is absolutely most important. If you have time and energy for other tasks, fine, but make sure your top three tasks are done first.
10 – Read and answer email three times a day – once in the morning, once during the middle of the day (middle = any time that works for you – it doesn’t have to be lunchtime), and then once at the end of the day. If something is an emergency, you will be notified in some other way besides email. Try not to check your email in the evening or any time you are at home. Checking email incessantly and responding immediately can be a major time suck.
11 – When you do sit down to deal with email, set aside a few minutes to read, respond to, or delete each one.
During your “planning time”:
12 – Plan your planning time! What one or two tasks are you doing to try to complete during this time? Similar to making that top three tasks in the morning, don’t frustrate yourself by trying to get too many tasks done. Plan for one or two. If you can get more done, fine. If not, fine.
13 – If you prefer to not be disturbed during your planning time, either go to another location (a table in the library, a co-worker’s empty office). You could also consider closing your door and putting a sign on it that says something like “genius at work” or “work in progress – please do not disturb”.
14 – Batch your tasks. Make all your copies at one time. Grade all your math quizzes at one time. Prep all your reading group plans at one time. Create all your slides or teaching resources at the same time. You get the idea. This saves you time because you spend one time getting ready to do the task instead of getting ready multiple times.
During the day:
15 – Go to the office/mailroom and check your mailbox only once a day. Running into people there can be a time suck.
16 – Train your students to do as much of the organization and clean-up in your classroom as possible. Can they straighten tables and chairs at the end of the day? Pick up papers and pencils off the floor? (And how does all that stuff end up on the floor anyway?!) Clean off counters? Organize papers to be graded? Think of chores that you are currently doing but that you could train some responsible students (or your entire class) to do.
17 – Work with your PLC or grade level team to share tasks like making copies, writing newsletters, prepping materials for science experiments, etc.
18 – Take a real lunch break. I am the worst about giving this advice but not actually following it myself. But when I do take the time to step away from my desk and computer, it makes a big difference in my energy levels for the rest of the day. Try it, even for just a few minutes.
19 – Keep what you need for planning or grading with you when you go to meetings, assemblies, etc. Use those small moments of downtime to get a few things done while you’re waiting. (This also works for other appointments outside of school – while you’re waiting for a doctor or dentist appointment, waiting to pick up your children from an activity, etc.).
20 – Speaking of grading/assessing – Carefully consider what really needs to be graded and what can just be checked for completion. Another option is to spot-check only certain questions or problems (all the even-numbered problems, for example).
21 – Set boundaries for yourself. I wrote an entire post about that HERE. You don’t have to say yes to everything, just because you are asked. If you want to do a task and it works for your current time and energy levels, go ahead. But if it doesn’t work, then say no.
22 – Set up systems and routines for your classroom and teach them to your students. Practice them over and over. Implement any necessary consequences for not following the routines, once your students have learned and practiced them. This will keep you sane and your students will also appreciate knowing what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it.
Here’s how to do it:
Open a new page in a notebook. List all the things that stress you out, no matter how big or how small. Next to each thing that stresses you out, write ONE thing you could do that would make it better in some way. Then choose ONE stressor and try your solution. When that is done, choose another. Make your way down the list.
24 – Set “leave” times for yourself daily. Some days you may be able to leave earlier than others. If you do, try to stick to that time and be as productive as possible during the day. If you need to set one day a week (or every couple of weeks) for staying later and finishing up nagging tasks, schedule that day and make a plan for it.
25 – Make a list of five things that went well during the day. No matter what went wrong, no matter what did not get done – focus on what you DID do well. Be proud of that. Give yourself a high five.
There you have it. 25 tips to help you to be more focused and efficient with your time during the school day. Let me know how they work for you!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
