Want to Stay Organized for Good? First Get Control of Your Time
Over the past several years, I’ve heard from hundreds of teachers looking for advice on how to get organized and stay organized all school year long. Many have tried getting organized in the past, but can’t keep it going.
Sound familiar?
If you’re trying to unlock the mystery behind getting organized, simplifying your teaching workload, and/or how to work less as a teacher - the key is managing your time.
Get control of your time and it will lay the foundation for streamlining every other part of your teaching life including getting organized and staying organized for good.
There are two parts to organization: “your stuff” and “your systems”
If you’ve ever tried to get organized in the past and failed - it’s probably because you focused on the “stuff” part. You bought all the containers, made the cute labels, and put things in specific places.
But you soon found yourself inundated with paper from your students, piles of copies for the week’s lessons, and other “stuff” that didn’t have a home.
The most important part to getting organized and staying organized is not the stuff.
It’s the systems.
It’s like building a house - you can have all the things from Joanna’s latest Magnolia line, but if you don’t establish a strong foundation - the decor means nothing.
Same thing with organization.
The first system you need in place in order to get organized and stay that way is your time.
How to get control of your time as a teacher
Create Boundaries
Yes, this is easier said than done, but it’s the first necessary step to regaining control of your workload and your personal life. If you don’t create (and keep) boundaries for your teaching workload, it will spread to every area of your life. Let’s end that.
First, consider how many hours you work in a typical work week.
Next, decide how many hours you want to work a typical work week.
In order to move from that first number (the hours you typically work) to the second (the number of hours you ideally want to work), you’ve got to do some purging.
Remember back in week one where we talked about determining importance? Well, this is where you put that into action. It’s time to cut any task that isn’t absolutely necessary and/or leads to your success or that of your students.
Purge Non-Essential Tasks
Track all the work-related tasks you complete in a typical week. Make a list of everything that is non-essential. This includes any task that isn’t required of you or those that aren’t necessary for your students’ success in the classroom.
I think you’ll be surprised by the number of tasks on your list.
Quite frankly, there are all sorts of tasks we put on our plate that don’t really belong there. For instance, any task that is mainly decorative is not essential. Yes, it might make your room prettier or more homey, but it isn’t necessary.
When you’re trying to create boundaries and reduce your overall workload, these are the types of tasks that must be cut. I’m not saying you have to cut them forever. But what I am saying is you need to take them off your plate for now. When all necessary tasks are complete and you have extra time - put them back.
Utilize Help
I’m willing to bet that there are several tasks you do on a regular basis that should be delegated. Yes, they are necessary and survived the purge above. However, just because they need to be done does not mean you must be the one who does them.
Tasks like copying, laminating, and returning library books can all be given to a volunteer or room parent.
Tasks like cleaning up at the end of the day, replenishing center supplies, and straightening the classroom library can all be given to your students.
Utilizing help is one of the easiest and fastest ways to lighten your workload and save you time.
This post lists multiple ways to utilize help. If you’re struggling with letting go of certain tasks or unsure where to begin, it can help you start the process.
How to Stick to Your Routines
Create a Set Work Schedule
Once you’ve ditched the unnecessary tasks and delegated others, it’s time to create a new work schedule.
Take the number of hours you’d typically like to work in a given week and create a schedule that works for you. Schedule work tasks as if they were appointments so they actually get completed and you’re able to focus on one task at a time.
Find a partner
As I’ve said before, one of the best ways to stick to a new goal is to have some accountability. Once you’ve decided to make these changes, spend some time visualizing how they will positively impact your life. And then find someone who will hold you to keep them.
Write it Down
I’ve created a worksheet to help guide you through this process. As always, you can find it in The Treasury. I’ve found that the act of putting these thoughts to paper helps me realize just how much I do each week, what really isn’t necessary, and what I can begin delegating to others.
Yes, all of this will take some effort initially, but working through these steps will save you so much time in the long run. Making these changes will bring that much needed balance between your work and personal life.
Looking for More Help?
If you feel like these posts are a great start to making positive changes, but find yourself needing more support to follow through - you’re not alone. Blog posts are a great tool for identifying key problem areas and then providing simple solutions, but they can’t walk you through a step-by-step process to get the work done.
Fortunately, I have the solution that can.
I created Organized Just So™ just for teachers like you who are searching for a way to get organized and stay organized for good.
And it’s not just about getting all your “stuff” organized, but managing your time and reducing your workload too.
It’s about creating and implementing systems that make your job easier, so you work less and have more time for what matters most to you. Click here to learn more.
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