No two days are ever the same in teaching therefor, handling complexity is vital skill. At any given moment you will have deadlines (often conflicting ones), parent expectations, staff expectations, school policies to implement, class routines to uphold and supervisors giving you feedback. To add to the complexity you could have students having a bad day, a differentiated curriculum to implement and students to engage in a variety of creative ways. There are always things to do and things that you will feel as though you could have done better. Amongst all of this chaos and confusion, you have your own emotions to deal with; are you having a bad day (we all have those) or are you having a good day? Are you feeling sick or are you feeling on top of the world? With such a diverse profession, it becomes essential to have the skills to manage complexity or you’ll end up feeling tired and frustrated.
So what can you do to simplify your work habits and get the most out of your day? How can you plan and prepare, but still remain flexible?
1. Write things down
I have been teaching for a number a years, and I would not survive without my daybook. My daybook doubles as my diary and I carry it everywhere. I do a daily ‘brain dump’ (link to David Allen article) and write down all of the things that I am thinking about.
Remember: If you don’t write things down they take up mental space.
2. Making actionable items
At the end of each day I write no more than three actionable items for the following day. I decide on the three items that are crucial for that day. This helps me to feel in control and gives me a sense of accomplishment when I complete the essential three items (rather than drowning in list of tasks that are not prioritised). It also helps to write using ‘verbs’ so that you attached an action to each of the points. For example, for tomorrow, I have ‘Book excursion bus, Burn new musical CD, Practise drumming composition with the students.’
Remember: Choose three things that are essential for that day.
3. Plan your week
I always plan a whole week ahead. That means that all of my photocopying, class resources and teaching equipment are ready one week ahead. Sometimes this is not always possible as others teachers may be using equipment, but I try my best.
Remember: Think ahead, what equipment and resources will you need?
Teaching is a complex and multifaceted profession. It is important to get some of these practises in place so that you can keep some brain space free for what matters most, your students.