TM4T Home - Personal Organisation - under development
There are some teachers who - without irony - just don't have time to implement a rigorous time management system. They ask for ten steps - nine if possible - that they can use right now, like today.
OK.
1. Sort out your personal equipment once and for all at the start of the year. This means a mini-stash of your favourite pens and other office stuff. Use the ticklist here to figure out what you need. Don't borrow, don't lend. Resolve never to waste time on stationery again.
2. Sort out your personal space at the start of term. Make sure that when you have a place to work. Depending on your school, this can be tricky. Hints here. Resolve to implement a clear desk policy.
3. Sort out your personal life before term starts: make sure your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts are squeaky clean; make sure your e-mail account and mobile numbers are uncompromised and anonymous; make sure your school laptop is secure and pure; and make sure those you love understand and accept that you will need to ration time occasionally.
4. Spend some time reviewing the topography of your school. Make sure that your mornings are not like Terry's - described here. Get yourself a personal in-tray to act as a collecting basket, as described here.
5. Spend some money - get yourself an A4 hardbacked notepad (£1 from good stores). Make this your Ticklist. Look at it every day.
6. Spend just a little time thinking about you: your strengths and not-strengths. You may not have time to read everything here and here, but focus on the issues you are aware of. Resolve to get better at time-management every day.
7. Find out what time-savers already exist in your school: ask whether you can download class-list spreadsheets from the school administration system; ask whether your teaching rooms already have seating plans; find out whether there is an electronic school calendar. Ask what administrative support is available and think about how you could use it.