3 TIPS TO CLOCK OUT ON TIME

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As a teacher it is often difficult to leave the work at school and head home to have a “normal” family life. After all, more often than not we say “my kids” referring to our students and our own children. But it is not impossible to leave work on time!  I found with a little organization my teacher time management improved.  It’s important that we learn to clock out on time.  I hope you will join me in the journey toward work-life balance.

Clock Out on Time – Teacher Myth?

Okay, it’s August. The summer months have passed and if you are like me, I have mixed emotions. As I look ahead, I am filled with love for my kids, passion for my classroom, and excitement about all the ah-ha moments to come. What I do not cherish is the building pressures of the school workload, family and day-to-day responsibilities.

If you are a teacher, you are working long hours. As some of you told me on Youtube, dismissal time can be “a joke,” and you are not alone.  Research is clear; according to We Are Teachers, you are probably working more than 250 days instead of the 180 listed on your contract. Here are my three best tips for getting home on time.

1. Plan for the Big Picture

I create a full year scope and sequence that helps me see the big picture for each month. On it, I put literally EVERYTHING we are doing for the month. It includes what I’m teaching, field trips I’m planning, special events for the classroom and the school…absolutely everything. Doing this helps me know how to plan and pace curriculum and activities.

This is the template I use make this as easy as possible.  Grab your own copy here!

As many of you know, one of the recurring jobs is printing. Having my personal scope and sequence helps me know what to print and when to print it. I try to print and prep resources a week in advance so that I’m not scrambling to get to the printer in the teacher’s resource room at the last minute while I try to squeeze in a couple bites of my lunch AND a restroom break HA! After I complete my print jobs, I use a filing system to store them until the next week.

 Keeping the BIG picture in mind allows me to do my work on MY schedule so I can plan for all the important family events in my life.

 2. Sunday Night Prep

Sunday night is the time I get ready for the upcoming week. Setting aside time before the week begins allows me to construct a winning game plan. Each week I review my scope and sequence, make a detailed lesson plan, write a ‘to do’ list and designate days for accomplishing the goals for future prep. This assures me that I have a workable and realistic plan for the week.

During these planning sessions I typically use a lot of…you guessed it…sticky notes. I can move them around as I change my schedule. If you love sticky notes as much as I do – and if you ever have found your quick notes difficult to read later, here is a free resource for you – Printable Sticky Notes!  It’s an easy way to make the notes you need while you are planning your week. I type up my note on the template…and print! It’s super easy, I know you’ll love it!

I made a YouTube video that goes into details about HOW I organize my curriculum. It’s one in a series I made on my Classroom. I think you’ll find some helpful tips in it!

 

3. Set boundaries – and STICK to them!

We all know the struggle of trying to do EVERYTHING before we leave for the day…but the truth of the matter is…we can’t truly finish every. little. thing. There will always be more to print, more to prep, more to plan for…more, more, more!

There are days that I really struggle to let go and walk away from a to do list that isn’t done. Can you relate?? However, unless something pops up that absolutely must be done, I recommend sticking to the plan that you plotted out on Sunday evening and respecting those boundaries for your sake…for your family’s sake, AND for your students’ sake.  

You can’t pour from an empty cup,  and to be fully charged up, you have to set boundaries for yourself. I’ve learned that the more I respect and stick to the boundaries that I set, the better I am overall!

It’s easy to get out of whack and out of balance more quickly than it is to get in balance. TRUTH! Go back and read that one more time.

Remember, we all have special people in our lives who deserve our attention. Teaching is only one part of our lives. As John Maxwell, author and speaker, said, “When a ball has to drop, make sure it is the right one.”

It’s hard…I get it…BUT it is important to know when to say STOP for the day, clock out on time, and go home!

 I’d love to hear from you on this topic! Comment below and share some of your best tips to clock out on time!

 P.S. Oh! And one way that helps me spend more time with family is by using my instant pot to make FAST and HEALTHY meals. Here’s one of my family’s favorite recipes: Instant Pot Greek Chicken Bowls. Hope you like it as much as we do!