Open Mic:
This school year has been different in more ways than one. I have tried new teaching methods and behavior methods. I feel like I hit the ground running. However, I feel like I am treading water. There is not enough time in the day to complete all the planning, admin. work, and teaching. I feel completely drained when I walk out of the building. In turn, I don't think I give enough to my students or family and isn't that what we got in this profession to do? Maybe someone has some ideas for time management or just some shortcuts. I have never been the person to take shortcuts but it is catching up to me now.
Aimee, I agree with the time issue. I am one of the first teachers at school in the morning and my little car is one of the last to leave in the evening. One of the last things that was said this summer was that we needed to take care of ourselves first! I am definitely not there yet. But, how do we leave things undone at work because it will still be undone when we return. Occassionally I will schedule a movie (always in line with the curriculum), or a media center day. This allows me a bit of breathing room, even if only for a moment. I don't use this time to just sit though, I grade papers, work on lesson plans, etc. in between assisting students. Maybe it's not really a breather, but a change from the usual never sit down day and it can be a bit of a brain break for me too.
ReplyDeleteHi, Aimee - at least tonight you can get one of those precious hours back when we change our clocks! And at least you feel like you are treading water and not drowning, so keep after it as it will get better. Soon your lesson plans will not require as much work as you will have a lesson for everything you teach, and those will only require modifications based on what happened this time around.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to use more student help in any aspect of your day, from administrative to peer tutoring to demonstrations, etc?
And do not volunteer for anything at school that takes extra time as you are doing all you can do for your students this year and next year you will be better at time management and the year after that even better still, but you must survive these first few years so don't feel as if you must do everything this year. Learn to say no.