Tips for better time management
by Kimberlee Doktor
After spending 14 years home as a full-time mom and part-time, community-based preschool teacher, I found myself reentering the work force full time as a high school special education teacher in a self-contained multiple disabilities classroom last year.
Those first few months are a complete blur. My days would run from 5 a.m. and go until easily one the next morning. Between parenting, taking care of a household, teaching, and planning, I was finding myself with very little time for the fun things in life, let alone sleep. I knew that burnout was looming and pretty much guaranteed unless I found a better way to manage my time to create more balance in my life.
The following are some ways I’ve found to create a better balance, feel more fulfilled, and get some sleep!
Create a schedule—and stick to it!
Creating a daily and weekly schedule has become a critical part of my life. I spend some time every Sunday night outlining everything that needs to be accomplished throughout the course of the week. I can then identify the days that they need to be accomplished by. This allows me to incorporate all the areas of my life onto one page and ensure that there are no overlaps. I also set a time by which my day will end, allowing time for self-care, including adequate sleep.
Create time limits and use timers
When I become engrossed in an activity or project, I can often lose sight of other things that need to be accomplished. There have been more than a couple of instances where I promised that I was only going to spend a half hour at home working on something for my classroom, only to find that several hours have gone by!
Now, I’ve become a person who sets timers, and lots of them! I know that when the timer goes off, it’s time to call it a day on whatever I’m working on, regardless of where I am in that project. As silly as this sounds, it makes sure that I keep a balance in my day between everything I need to accomplish.
Keep an organized workspace
I find that keeping my desk organized is incredibly helpful. It saves a lot of time looking for materials that I need. Moreover, it can eliminate becoming overwhelmed by all the things I need to get done in the future. Even better, it helps me stay on task because I don’t get distracted by future projects or task that, although need to be completed, are not on my agenda for that day or time.
Learn to say NO!
This is possibly the most difficult time management skill that I have had to learn. I like to help people and have always felt guilty when I said no to somebody who asked me to take something on for them. However, I have come to learn that by saying no to activities or tasks when I already have a lot on my plate, I am able to focus on what I need to accomplish. Saying no doesn’t mean you don’t care about what someone else wants, it just means that you are able to set limits for yourself and balance your life.
It is important to make sure that you have some form of a time-management plan. It helps create a balance in your life to make sure that you’re not overextending yourself and finding time to enjoy life.
There are only 1,440 minutes in a day. Make sure that you use them all wisely.
Kimberlee Doktor is a special education teacher at Garfield High School, working in an 11th/12th grade classroom for students with multiple disabilities. She is a member of the NJEA Early Career Member Network. For more information, visit njea.org/early-career.