Three Ways To Increase Prep Time Productivity
Learning Objective: Teachers will be able to (TWBAT) increase prep time productivity.
In my early years of teaching, my prep periods were spent walking around searching for opportunities to socialize and find snacks. As a result, I went to bed incredibly late working on things that I could have gotten done during school hours. Luckily, I quickly learned to work more efficiently during my prep period to free up time to do things I enjoy and increase my hours of sleep. As a result, I’ve been able to be more present during school hours, transforming my entire career. In this week’s post I want to give you three simple tips to increase prep time productivity so that you can live a more balanced and enjoyable teacher life.
1. One Task At A Time
Many people try to convince themselves that they are good at multitasking, but in reality, very few people can complete multiple tasks at one time. The truth is that if you put away your distractions and solely focus on one task at a time, it can lead to better quality work, done faster. Here’s how to do it right:
1. Keep A Task List
To fully use your prep time is to keep a task list handy so you don’t spend time thinking about the tasks you need to do and can get right to it at the start of your prep. Gold Star Tip: Have one to do list with all your school and personal life tasks. This way you aren’t always consolidating your tasks from different planners and post-its and you can take advantage of your commute/waiting time to update your list on your phone.
2. Make A Plan
Next, spend five minutes at the start of your prep to decide what you want done before the bell rings.
3. Group, Prioritize, and Set Deadlines
In order to efficiently use your time, group similar tasks together (i.e. on-the-computer tasks, copy room tasks, etc.), prioritize, and assign a time limit for each task to stay focused.
4. Give Yourself A Buffer
Finally, be sure to leave buffer-time between tasks to give yourself time to appreciate what you are doing and stay motivated.
2. Block Out Distractions
I understand, you don’t want to be the unapproachable teacher who comes off as a stress-case that can’t handle a little conversation here and there, but here’s the truth: Blocking out your prep time allows you to not stress about work during break and lunch because you know you scheduled a time to get your work done. Work efficiently during your prep period to be present when it matters.
Close your door and put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign when you are in a time crunch. Turn off notifications and resist answering emails as they show up. Practice not instantly giving people your attention unless it’s absolutely critical. Instead, schedule a time to reply to emails. Learn to say no. Remember you have the power to choose what deserves your time. In order to be proactive, you can’t be reactive.
3. Good Enough
It's common for teachers to get hung up on attempting to perfect a lesson, but honestly, things are rarely perfect without many revisions. Rather than being fixed on perfection, ask yourself if it is good enough, and if it is, move on. Now I’m not saying to not give your 100%. What I am saying is that you can either spend hours perfecting a lesson, or wait until the activity is done to reflect and use student feedback to improve it. You can, and should, always come back to make your lessons better, just be smart about how you do it. Remember don’t confuse activity with productivity.
Hopefully these three tips can help you use your prep time effectively and lead you to more balance in your work life. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Lastly, your inspirational quote for the week:
“Focus on being productive, not busy.”
