Do you have a never-ending to-do list? Just as you think you’ve checked something off your list it seems as though you have 2 more to add. You know that one step forward, two steps back feeling?
I’m a paper calendar and to-do list kind of person because I love marking things off my list. That checkmark next to the item gives me a sense of personal satisfaction and achievement.
While I don’t have a magic cure for that overwhelmed teacher feeling, I do have 3 quick strategies to help you feel better about your day.
Batching
Have you tried batching your tasks? Batching refers to completing all of one task at a time. For example, instead of making trips to the copy machine each day, make all your copies for the week at one time. Making daily agendas? Do them for the week before you move on to another task. Repetitive tasks seem to go quicker when you do them all at once, instead of spreading them out and doing a little of this and a little of that.
As teachers, we get sucked into grading a few papers, answering a few emails, and uploading materials to our LMS. Next time try completing all of one task before you go on to the next item.
Prioritizing
Have you ever heard of the ping-pong ball theory? Basically, your brain can only hold a certain amount of information….let’s call that information a ping-pong ball. Once your brain is full, that’s it, no more ping-pong balls can fit. Eventually, you start forgetting things.
I like to use a to-do list because it helps me feel more organized and like I can let that ping-pong ball go from my brain after I jot it down. Start by prioritizing the things on your list. This strategy works well when you have several items and some are time-sensitive or are more important than others. Once you’ve got a list, select the most important task. Once that item is done, check it off. Continue to pick the next most important item until the list is complete.
Quick Win
This strategy is a personal favorite. Think about the amount of time you reasonably have to work. Is this 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or an hour? Now, think about which task from your list can reasonably be accomplished within the time constraint.
Got 5 minutes? Respond to an email. Got 20 minutes? Grade that assignment. Got an hour? Lesson plan for the week.
Choosing a task you can reasonably achieve within the time constraints will help you feel more productive and give you a quick win as you mark it off the to-do list.
Business Girl Education 