In almost every line of work time management is an everyday issue. When you have a classroom full of students, and a curriculum to follow, every distraction could be fatal for the plan.
Teacher time management is a way to stay on the course of lectures. A lot can be done with the preparation and execution, but there is also some software that can help teachers to remain focused and to deliver a top-notch lecture in the classroom without getting interrupted by the bell.
Transfer of knowledge or just communication with the students Is not an easy task, and that is why we have some tips and time management software recommendation.
Basic principles of classroom time management
Every day is full of tough decisions if you are a teacher. Even if you have a perfect plan for the classroom, it might fail if the execution is not as it should be. There are a lot of factors that go into making decisions and management, and before we jump into time management for teachers, we should emphasize that lot depends on execution.
Define objectives
It’s important that you know what you want to achieve as soon as you get into the classroom. You could even write the plan so everyone can see it. A good start for time management is setting priorities and organizing classes and day around the most important tasks.
With priorities in mind, you can track progress and stay on track even if unexpected situations take place, which they often do.
Be flexible
With the objectives set, teachers can be more flexible with distractions. When working with young people things will not always go as planned, so you’ll have to be flexible. There is no real need to stick to the plan blindly.
Setting objectives and goals can help with flexibility. Deviation, in this case, can even be fun. After 30 minutes you should encourage a brief distraction from the subject anyway, so the students can refocus.
Assessing time demands
When you are planning classes and materials try to anticipate how long will students take to complete a task. Try to be realistic about that, but also remind students how long they have for each task.
If there is a need for computer or projector use, help your time management with stopwatch application. Have a plan for transition times, the period between lessons, specials and other not structured time. A short couple of minutes activities would be ideal for these situations. Some students may need help with their homework or projects.
Delaying the questions for the end of the lecture is a good way to manage time and stay focused on the subject. But at the same time, if the lesson has a key point that draws more attention and demands more explaining, students should be encouraged to ask questions during the lecture.
Estimate time for all the tasks
Making a detailed timetable is a good way to make your lecture reach the final goal. You should spend around 10 minutes for warm up and getting your class focused, along with the recap of the last lecture.
The core information transfer and presentation should last around 15 minutes. The next 15 minutes can go for a discussion with teacher guidance, and you can assign 15 minutes for free practice to see what students got from the lecture.
If your class is 60 minutes, you will have an additional five minutes for wrapping up and assigning homework. This is just one of the countless ways a teacher can organize his lecture.
Writing the lesson plan
That brings us to the lesson plan. First, you will need to asses what your students already know. Getting to know your students is a crucial stepstone to quality lesson planning.
Besides checking their previous knowledge, you should identify their learning style, pinpoint gifted, unmotivated, students with disabilities, extroverts, and introverts. All this will help with formatting activities and stay on top of the lesson plan.
Prioritize tasks and use time-controlled activities
Time can fly in the classroom so always prioritize the most important tasks. A good way to give lessons a structure and avoid wiggle room is to have time-controlled activities. The student will be more focused if they know time-limit for the task and it will also keep them more focused.
It’s not only the teachers that need to have time-management skills. With all the classes students attend, and all the distractions from their young lives, they also need help with organization.
Time management apps can help the student focus. Managing time is not only obstacle students face. They often need help with projects. If they are reluctant to ask teachers there are some online resources to edit my essay question. This is where both kids and teachers could use help from a time management software.
Best Time Management Software
RescueTime
RescueTime is an online time tracking and management application. Features include blocking distracting websites and application to help you stay focused when entering grades online. The app tracks time you spend on different applications and you can check these statistics to asses your productivity. RescueTime tracks off-screen time and can send alerts for you to focus on the planned tasks.
Todoist
Todoist is one of the most popular To do list app and task manager. The app will help you track all your tasks, give you a reminder and analysis of your performance. Adding a task is easy, natural language is encouraged, and adding a timeline is very simple. There is a collaborative function of shared tasks and it could be used in the classroom for homework.
Simple Blocker
Simple Blocker is a Google Chrome extension with the idea of adding by subtraction. The extension block websites you choose, offer a clean user interface and you can focus on your work and boost productivity.
Bottom line
One of the great advice for teachers is to set aside personal time. Getting there is not so easy. That is why time-management for teachers is crucial both in the preparation for classes and in the classroom.
Create smaller time frames within your class, break up grading material into small groups and give students time-controlled activities. Be ready for interruptions, some wiggle room, but keep priority tasks on track.
Time-management application offer to do lists, time tracking and reminders. It’s great for the teacher to be aware of how his plan is progressing, but students can also benefit from knowing how much time they have. The software can also help you stay focused, by blocking the distracting website and application from your computer.
Guest article written by: Robert Everett is a long-term blog post and article Freelance writer. His culture-savvy and educational background and contribution in various media outlets helped him developed a personal style with the ability to write about different topics. He is not reluctant to share his vast knowledge and experience with the audience and to share his insights via articles, blogs, and social media accounts.