TM4T Chronotypes - NJ Actions

Oh dear.

I realise how disappointing and annoying this is, and I'm really sorry. You've done the quiz full of hope, optimism, and expectation, you've read all the waffle and now you end up here... and you've heard it all before, haven't you?   Buy an alarm clock, cold shower, brisk exercise - all that stuff.  Well...not quite, but I have to admit: almost.

There is simply no getting away from one awful truth: teaching in the 21st century is tough if you're an evening person, and it will still be tough even if you follow all the advice below. Things will be better, but mornings will still be tough.

1. Scan your diary carefully and regularly, focusing on what is happening before noon. Try to move important things - observations, job interviews and so on - outside your dull zone. You want to show yourself at your best, which is invariably after mid-afternoon.

2. Prepare for your pastoral role carefully - this aspect is typically weighted towards mornings. You have one advantage: your chronotype matches that of many or most teenagers, and they will be as half-asleep and grumpy as you are.  Look for low energy ways of handling morning registration, and find other times to tackle difficult engagements (student counselling, parental contact, etc)

3. Scan this year's timetable critically and assess how difficult your teaching is going to be early in the morning. If you have options, use them. 'Options' includes things like library lessons, study or coursework preparation, quiet reading and so on. Obviously, options only exist if you see a class more than once a week. If options do exist, then a little planning can make your life easier, and even earn you an occasional brief lie-in.

If you have no options, then you need to adopt a different - in fact opposite - strategy. This means going old-school: getting up early, twenty minutes aerobic exercise before school, and careful lesson planning the evening before.  The key here is obviously forethought and planning: you should be able to predict which days (ie which classes) are going to be challenging, and tailor your morning routine accordingly.

4. Be prepared to use your evenings. The Union might not like it, but after-school may be the most creative, decisive and productive part of your day.  Be prepared to leave any complicated or problematic tasks until you have the mental energy needed.  Conversely, keep a little stack of routine, low-energy tasks to plod through in any morning free time. 

5. Plan your mornings the night before. If you are really a zombie in the morning, the simply accept that you need to operate on auto-pilot. This means that you do detailed planning and preparation the night before, and leave instructions for yourself - a note from bright-eyed-you to dead-eyed-you.

6. Look for opportunities to be a hero. Any evening activities (school play, parents' evening, prize giving, whatever) are exhausting for most teachers, but are probably a piece of cake for you. If you have a chance to demonstrate your energy, intelligence and social skills at these evening events: take that opportunity.

The Night Jasmine should do their creative and decision-making work anytime between 17:00 and midnight, while their social contact is best between 20:00 and two in the morning. Exercise and sport:  evenings are best again. In fact, there isn't much room left for routine admin - the NJ has to try to do it earlier - late-morning is best.