Real Talk About Time Management - Serena Pariser Corwin Teaching Essentials

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      [Ed] For example, my first year in the classroom I taught a different class each period. I was “low man on the totem pole” and got the “leftovers”—which is often (but not always) the case for first-year teachers. This was a factor I could not control.

      Researchers at Bradley University found that larger workloads for teachers adversely affected students’ experience. According to these researchers, “If faculty are dissatisfied with their workload, feel overwhelmed, and find themselves not achieving good student results, they suffer, and consequently, students suffer” (James, 2015). So, when teachers are happy with their workload, it shows in the classroom and most importantly impacts student relationships.

      We spoke with Jennifer Zimmermaker, an education specialist at Mesa Verde Middle School in Poway, California. She shared some advice that has helped her tremendously with her workload.

      Work Smarter, Not Harder

      My mother-in-law’s words still echo in my ears as she explained to me one of the most essential anecdotes to teacher burnout: “Work smarter, not harder.” I remember that at the time I loved the meaning of the platitude but wasn’t sure how to put it into practice. I was working through my lunch and prep with the hopes that I could come home early, only to find myself still having to use the flashlight on my phone to navigate the long hallway from my classroom to the parking lot where mine would be the only car under the dark evening sky. I would come home to find that my husband, who had prepared dinner based on my wishful thinking ETA, had already eaten and was ready for bed. I realized that I had to take my mother-in-law’s words and mantra to heart and start embodying her advice for a more balanced work and home life by finding innovative strategies that would help me get more work done in less time.

      Below are some techniques that changed my workday for the better and ensured that I was able to have more quality time for those I love, including myself:

       I started to use my prep more efficiently by creating a to-do list of the most important pending items—limiting this list to two to three items. This helped make me feel more productive, and I was able to shut off distractions and really get to work.

       I also would do the thing I dreaded the most first instead of putting it off for last. This also helped me because I was no longer procrastinating and just got it done so I could enjoy that feeling of accomplishment that I felt afterwards.

       I set a timer so I could try to be more consistent in the time I left school, keeping my promise to my husband. I started to leave at 4:30 p.m. every day knowing that there was no way to get everything completed but that the work would always be there and moments with family are more fleeting than that. This also allowed me to make sure I was able to have quality time to eat dinner with my husband.

       I made time for self-care by booking monthly massages, sometimes scheduling them at 3:45 p.m. to ensure that I left school immediately after the buses. I would also pack my gym clothes and bring them to school with me. Then I would change before I left to ensure that I went to the gym. This was such a nice change from my old habit of coming home with the intentions of going to the gym but never leaving my house because I was just too exhausted.

       I stopped checking my work e-mail or bringing work home on the weekends, knowing that the time I spent at school would be more productive. When I took the time to really heed my mother-in-law’s advice, my smarter and more time-efficient habits helped me not only be a more successful teacher but a more balanced and content human being who was nurturing my relationships with loved ones.

      In 2003 Robert Marzano and colleagues analyzed research from over 100 studies on classroom management. They found that in classrooms where students had strong relationships with the teacher, there was a decrease in disruptions by 31 percent (Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering, 2003). We all know relationships take time. We’ll cover relationships in a different chapter, but we wanted to point out that human connection can help your workload.

      So, let’s get to it. Here are ten questions for you to think about—your way of auditing your workload. Which aspects of your workload can you control?

       ____________________ Average (Mean) Score

       Score:

       16–20: If you have a mean score of 16–20, you definitely have many factors that are in your control that can decrease your workload. The good news is you can fix this, and you should! Look at areas where you rated yourself a 3 or 4. Be a hunter: Is there something you can do to solve this issue?

       12–15: This is where most of us may be after a few years in the classroom. This score means you probably still have some frustration with your workload. The good news is you can fix it! Look at areas where you rated yourself a 3 or 4. Be a hunter: Is there something you can do to solve this issue?

       8–11: Okay, we’re impressed. Look at your highest score. What factors in your control can you change about this situation?

       7 or below: Nicely done! You probably have time to build relationships with students and have spent time over the years hunting for ways to decrease your workload. Can you hunt a little more?

      Take a few minutes to reflect on how you scored for each item. Use the questions below to guide your thinking or share with a friend or colleague.

      Your Turn

      1 Ask other teachers how they handle their workload. (You’ll know which ones to ask.)

      2 Read and reflect on what others are writing about classroom workload. Even experts can learn from someone else.

      Strategy #5 Change Your Language Around Your Workload Be Positive and Optimistic

       Your Beliefs Become Your Thoughts

       Your Thoughts Become Your Words

       Your Words Become Your Actions

       Your Actions Become Your Habits

       Your Habits Become Your Values

       Your Values Become Your Destiny

       —Gandhi

      [Serena] I’ve done a lot of backpacking around the world. One of the biggest culture shocks occurs when I come back into the United States after a few weeks or even months being abroad. I hear the same phrase everywhere. It goes something like this:

      Me: “Hey Juan, how are you doing? How has everything been?”

      Juan: “Good—really busy but good.”

      This is the accepted answer to show someone we are happy and successful. For some reason, we think that if we have a handle on all of our responsibilities, then maybe we aren’t taking on enough or we have time and should be doing more work. Being stressed and busy is the norm. For some reason, the more exhausted we seem, the more it seems like we are accomplishing things. But why? Why is it often difficult to not take on more—to set time aside for ourselves, take a moment to smell the roses, and not be stressed? Why does it have to be like this? Let’s flip the script:

      Me: “Hey Juan, how are you doing? How has everything been?”

      Juan: “Really good. I feel like I have a handle on everything at work and hopefully will soon have some free time to do more hiking with my family.”

      This response would probably shock you more. But let’s change our mindset about our workload. This starts with our language. Let’s listen to ourselves when we hear ourselves speak about our workload. This becomes our reality. It’s okay to speak about your responsibilities with a sense of empowerment instead of a sense of defeat, even if you are speaking about the same workload. The purpose of

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