Read for my favorite Amazon finds for classroom management. There's something for managing groups, getting students' attention, keeping management tools organized, and more!
Want to learn about the 4 quadrants of time management? Learn everything there is to know in our article as we cover the time management quadrants in detail.
I talk about this all the time but taking control of your life starts by taking control of your time. The biggest part of gaining control of your time is to learn to manage your time efficiently. I…
Learn how to create a work plan following these five actionable steps to help you organize your work as a team leader!
Are you ready for the secret to increasing teacher productivity? It's all about using systems to keep you organized.
How to set up and implement a classroom behavior plan that really works, with advice from Smart Classroom Management's Michael Linsin.
How tight would you hug me if I could help you to save lots of time prepping your teaching materials resources this year? What if I told you that I could save you time? #cantbreathMy teaching buddies would often make fun of laugh at my craziness. I have to fess up. I was the annoying teacher photocopying her
Good-bye stress. Hello sanity!
Put together the perfect teacher planner to improve classroom organization! No more messy binders filled with teacher papers!
Here we are again, sharing more time management tips for teachers! This post is part 3 of a 3-part series.
Writing lesson plans shouldn't be painful or overly time consuming. These elementary lesson plan templates save you time!
Planning, time management and organization help for struggling learners.
Of all the responsibilities you have on the first day of school, teaching your classroom management plan is número uno in importance. After all, your success as a teacher hinges on your ability to manage your classroom. That’s just the way it is. Teachers ... Read more
The way to manage time well is to establish routines. These routines for teachers to help manage time will create rhythms that lead to a better use of time.
Some school years we have classes that are chattier than average. Although notably more exhausting, I always find these years to be the most enjoyable because chatty students are more willing to share their ideas and display their curiosity.
Get organized using teacher planner printables! Instead of a planner, I use these printables to capture what I don't want to forget.
I get asked a lot to share how I do my planning, so today I'm sharing my homemade, hodgepodge system. I really struggled with organization until I
If you are feeling burnt out and like you can never reach the end of your to-do list, check out my top 3 time saving tips for teachers here!
A time management worksheet will inspire you as you work your way toward improved productivity and better health and well-being. Significantly...
Hello fellow educators! 🙂 One of the best ways that I’ve found to stay on top of what I am doing throughout the year is to have long range plans. I have them for first grade, and now I have them for third as well! 🙂 We have a county curriculum pacing guide in our...Read More »
Time management is a struggle as a teacher in the classroom. Check out these tips and ideas to help you manage your time and feel less stressed!
Read up on tips about teacher binder organization and learn about some teacher binder ideas and essentials to make your school life more efficient.
This product is a week at a glance lesson plan organizer. My teaching team creates one every week to plan what we are doing in each subject. Since Google Docs are always live and collaborative, we are able to add links to resources and stay organized. Please see example!
3rd grade teacher Deanna shares how she saves time and works more efficiently.
Looking for a system that helps your SEO team better prioritize tasks while making individual team members more efficient at their jobs? Agile methodology can do both and does not require much in the way of training.
Using checklists effectively can be a key part of being organized. That's why every teacher needs these 10 checklists.
Truth: I used to spend hours and hours lesson planning at home every night. Finally, I told myself, "No more!" I knew in the near future I wanted to start a
The average teacher probably handles classroom management and lesson planning as separate entities. I know I do, especially since it seems like once you have your classroom management plan in place, you just have to worry about enforcing it. This leaves open the mental space to tackle everything else involved with teaching. I was recently
Curriculum mapping is an essential part of planning for your school year. Learn the important components needed to create a curriculum map.
Truth: I used to spend hours and hours lesson planning at home every night. Finally, I told myself, "No more!" I knew in the near future I wanted to start a
**UPDATE** You can now find an EDITABLE version of my Long Range Plans, Planning Calendar, and more in my newer Lesson Plan Series! What is the first thing you do to prepare for a new school year? Me? I have to have a plan. My husband says I kill all of the fun in things by overplanning. What can I say? I like to have a plan! Even if I don't always stick to it, it's good to know that you have a plan to fall back on. :) I actually start working on my long range plans in the spring of each year. I posted my plans last year and have received many emails about this year's plans, so here they are! I'm not sure how much help they will be since they're not "editable" but sometimes it just helps to see others' plans to get you pointed in the right direction. Just click on the image below to open up the file. I simply use Microsoft Word to create my LRP's. It's just a table that I have painstakingly merged the cells of to meet my needs. Yes, the process is very tedious and monotonous, but in the end, having my year laid on in this format is worth it! My LRP's go in the back of my lesson plan notebook for easy reference. In the front of that notebook, I have my "Planning Calendar" - this is a calendar of the year so that I can see the units (above) at a month's glance, as well as seeing other important school stuff - district dates, grade level duties, team birthdays, special holidays, etc. I also add my "flexible" read-aloud focuses for each month at the top in the "special notes" sections. Click below to see the full file. I'll be back soon to show you a glimpse of my full lesson plan notebook, but I hope seeing the "plan" helps a bit. What is your one organizational tool that helps you start the year on the right foot? Don't forget to enter my Office Max Tools for Schools Giveaway {$125+Value} - I'll post the winner TOMORROW!
Here are five practical steps you can take to manage multiple classes in the elementary classroom. I share things like grouping and classroom organization.
If you're struggling with classroom management, learn the 5 secrets of well-run classrooms and take the Classroom Management Quiz to gauge your level of success!
I recently shared out the output of a day-long collaboration workshop with my design team at Adobe. Over the day we filled up the whiteboard many times over, and papered the wall with post-its. I…
Time management can be tough for teachers, and getting everything done can seem impossible. Here are my top 10 tips for saving time in the classroom.
Feeling overwhelmed by your overflowing classroom cupboards? Let me take you through, step by step, how to organize your teaching resources. It probably won’t take as long or be as arduous as you think! I don’t know if you’re like me, but I usually find the tasks that I keep putting off, don’t take nearly as long as I expected them to! So, let’s get started!!! 1. Clear out your teacher closet / cupboards I’ve found this to be the best place to start! Otherwise buying new bits and bobs for the classroom and having no room for them can be frustrating and overwhelming. First things first – get rid of that junk that has been left in the classroom from that teacher who was in there in 1990! Then look at each remaining resource and ask yourself: will my students use this item this year? If this answer isn’t a definite yes – get rid of it! You want to be Maria Kondo’ing your cupboards. If something’s not sparking joy, it’s gotta go!!! Cleaning out my cupboards from time to time helps me to see what I have with fresh eyes – especially when I know which upcoming topics or themes we’ll be focusing on. You may not even remember what resources are tucked away! And those things you know you’re not going to use? There might be another teacher who could use them, or an op shop that will gladly take your unwanted items. A simple way to get your messy cupboards sorted is by grabbing some tubs or bins from Kmart or the Dollar Tree. There are *so* many types available. I’m positive you’ll find some that suit your needs and style. I’m not going to lie, purchasing baskets and tubs may involve a bit of an outlay to begin with, but do remember that these are things that will travel with you throughout your teaching career. If they’ve come out of your own personal expenses, then you are entitled to take them with you when you move on from the school. 2. Minimize Hard Copies As we all know, we live in a digital world. Almost everything is digital nowadays. So to minimize the hundreds of things you have in your classroom – recycle those hard copies! If you know you have a digital copy of something, get rid of the hard copy! If it’s something you really need to keep, file it into binders or folders so it’s out of the way, and easy to find when you need it. Organizing your digital resources well is just as important as keeping your physical resources organized. It took me a lot of ‘learning the hard way’ before I started making sure each resource, document or image I downloaded was saved with an appropriate title in an easy to find folder! Scrolling through hundreds of items in your ‘downloads’ folder ain’t fun, and feels like such a waste of time. Which leads me to something else super important – BACK UP YOUR HARD DRIVE! Alternatively, move to a cloud based storage system. I can’t stress this enough. Losing documents means losing *hours* of work… and re-doing those hours of work! It’s heartbreaking stuff. 3. Invest in 10 drawer cart or teacher trolley I feel these guys are the ultimate way to organize your teaching resources. I’m obsessed with my teacher trolley (or 10 drawer cart for my US friends!) and I even have one in my home! They make it so easy to keep your resources handy and organized! Once I’ve got my week planned, all of my important documents and worksheets are tucked away safely, ready for me to grab whenever I need them. I also allocate a drawer to emergency teachers. That way, if I wake up unwell and unable to go to work, all I have to worry about is getting enough rest because I know my fill-in teacher will keep my kids entertained and busy! My 10 drawer cart or teacher trolley labels are editable, so you can fill you trolley with anything and everything you like! They’re available in *seven* different styles, so you’re sure to find a set that matches your classroom aesthetic! You can see them all here: Boho Rainbow Cactus Tropical Botanical Rainbow Earthy Rainbow Modern Boho Vibes 4. Choose a teacher resource filing system and stick to it! This is totally a matter of personal preference, and it may also be determined by how your school does things. Filing resources by subject or by grade level might work best for you. Whichever you choose, stick to it the whole year! In my early teaching years, I remember finding it so enjoyable working out filing systems, but then the novelty wore off and I got slack… and then when I couldn’t find what I needed? It was the worst! I solved my problem (and hopefully yours!) by creating a tonne of editable binder covers and spines to keep folders organized and looking fab. To keep things looking consistent throughout the classroom – ‘on trend’ and aesthetically pleasing – I’ve created seven styles of binder covers so they can be in the same theme as your classroom decor. Another thing that I recommend to help you organize your teaching resources, is using a teacher toolbox. This thing is such a time saver. No more looking around for rubber bands, blue tack, sticky tape, thumb tacks, or even your own hair ties! I’ve made editable labels for teacher toolboxes so you could literally store anything you like in there! These toolbox labels have been specifically created to perfectly fit the Bunnings Handy Storage Organizer. Check out this video quickly showing the different styles my teacher toolbox labels are available in. 5. Label Everything!!!! If there’s one thing I couldn’t live without as a teacher – it would be labels! (After coffee, of course!) It doesn’t really make sense to have a filing system or tubs of resources that aren’t easily identifiable when you need to grab them quickly. So make your life easier, and label everything! And for your students? When everything has its place in the classroom, and is labelled accordingly, it makes it so much easier for your little learners to pop things where they belong when they’re finished with them! Over in my shop, it’s editable classroom labels galore! I’ve got labels for your teacher trolleys, as well as your teacher toolboxes. Both of these resources come in 7 styles, so you can find something to suit your classroom. Curious about how you’d apply the labels to your teacher trolley? Watch this video here! 6. Take the time to explicitly teach your students how to pack up and where things belong That’s a lifelong skill right there! I know as a parent, my kids are much better at listening to their educators when they’re asked to pack up, than they are me! So teachers – let’s set out students up for life! By taking the time to help them understand WHY it’s important to take care of their and the classroom belongings, we’re putting them in good stead for taking care of things of value down the track. You might feel like a broken record repeating yourself constantly… but soon enough, your students will catch on that the faster they pack away, the more time they have for the fun stuff! When students can’t find their personal belongings or something within the classroom, it’s an opportunity for a gentle, teachable moment. You could try: “Ahhh… you can’t seem to find xyz? This is a great example of why it’s so important to pop our things back where they belong, isn’t it?” Once you’re all organized? Take a step back and enjoy the good lookin’ classroom you’ve created! And don’t let all your hard work go to waste – keep it as organised as you can. It’s such a time saver when you know where everything is and you don’t have to waste time looking for something that’s right under your nose! If you have any other ideas on how to organize your teaching resources, I’d love to hear them! Comment below, and I’d love to share them over on my IG page with the MJLL community!
I know. You read this title thinking, “yeah right I do a million and one things a day, what are you going to say thats worth my time?” My goal with this post is to give you at least one tidbit that you can take to your class that will give you even 20 minutes back into your week. Here are ways to make the most of your planning time. Tip #1: Use Small Pockets of time A few minutes to spare while your kids are working? Start tidying up so you’re not having to clean up during your conference time. Solicit a student to help clean up! With extra time, I also try to knock out some emails so I can get right to planning during my conference. A few minutes in the morning? As much as you DON’T want to do it, keep a stack of papers to grade on a clipboard. Place a post-it-note of the answers. Grade when you have a few extra minutes so you can get down to the actual planning during conference. Tip #2: Break your To-Do’s into small chunks You cannot do everything in one day. If you try to, even if […]
Planner Quick Tip: Advance Planning for the New Year. Organized Chaos. Easy and effective way to keep track of dates and information for the upcoming school year in one place.
Let these amazing spaces take you to your happy place.
A step-by-step approach on how to create a unit plan and its various components. Keeping things practical and manageable for busy teachers.
In this post you'll learn how to make a classroom management plan. If you feel like it is difficult to maintain control of your class, having a written plan will be a huge help. This post will help you be prepared with strategies to handle any situation that arises in your class.
It’s not surprising that research shows that having adequate teacher planning time is an important part of our job. Adequate planning time has a direct effect not only on an educator’s quality of teaching, but on their level of job satisfaction as well. But as any teacher will tell you, balancing time in the classroom...
Developing behavior management plans is crucial for starting out your school year. These 5 plans are sure to establish a positive classroom community!
If you want to spend less time working and be more productive & efficient with the time you have, then batch working is for you! Batch working has been used by entrepreneurs and business professionals for years! I first learned about batching from this Jenna Kutcher podcast episode. I was instantly intrigued and started listening to other podcasts and reading books about batch working and productivity. My intention was to use batching for TpT/ business related tasks... but then I realized how amazing it was in the classroom! I started implementing simple batching strategies and shaved hours off the time I spent planning & prepping before and after school each week! Note: This post has Amazon affiliate links. I personally purchased all of the linked materials for my classroom and they've been great! I was not given the materials nor am I paid by the companies for promoting them. I simply get a few cents from Amazon if you purchase them through my links. So... what is batch working & why does it work? Batch working is a process for managing time efficiently by completing similar tasks during scheduled chunks of time. With batch working, you avoid switching back and forth between different tasks and get tasks done weeks (and sometimes months) in advance! Research shows that multi-tasking just doesn't work and isn't productive! Focusing on one task at a time (AKA batching!) is how our brains work best! Here's a simple example for teachers: Task: Making copies without batch working: You have a variety of copies to make each week (math, reading, morning work, homework, etc.) You go to the copy machine multiple times a week (or even just multiple times a month) to make different copies. You spend a few minutes walking to the copy room. Then spend a few minutes in line waiting for the copier to be free. Once your copies are finished, you spend a few more minutes chatting with a colleague. That's probably about 8-10 minutes spent not even actually making copies... EVERY SINGLE TIME you go to the copy room. If you go to the copy machine multiple times a week or month, think of all the time you're wasting! Task: Making copies with batch working: You still have a variety of copies you need each week/ month. You plan & organize what copies you'll need for the next 2 to 4 weeks. You schedule a chunk of time to get all of the copies completed. You might schedule a chunk of time for reading copies for the month, a chunk of time for morning work copies for the month, etc. You will get all of your copies done for the next 2 to 4 weeks in only a few trips to the copy room, which will save you SO MUCH TIME! What are some tips for batch working? Make a list of all of the tasks you need to complete each week & month Group similar tasks together. I group copies together, computer tasks (like finding new ideas on Pinterest or making new PowerPoint slides for morning meeting) together, prepping physical materials (laminating and velcroing) together, etc. Create a schedule & routine for when you will batch different tasks. Set batch working time limits for yourself. If you schedule an hour to make copies, stick to that! Giving yourself a time limit and training yourself to stick to it will help you to work quicker & efficiently with the time you have. Timers and alarms can help you stay on track and not spend more time on a task than you had planned too! What tasks can I batch work? ALL. THE. THINGS! Making copies Writing & creating lessons Paperwork / IEPs Filing papers Communicating with families/ emails Prepping materials Looking for resources / ideas Cleaning/ organizing your classroom I'd love to hear if you have tried batch working and how it works for you! Leave a comment here, send me an email or connect with me on social media! CLICK HERE for links to the file folders and file folder box (Amazon Affiliate links)
Explore essential time management strategies in Part 2 of our 3-part series. Unlock productivity tips, tricks, and hacks for the classroom!
Put together the perfect teacher planner to improve classroom organization! No more messy binders filled with teacher papers!
Today I will share with you how you can set up and organize a math workshop model that will help you reach every student!
