Time management is one of the most crucial skills for teachers, who often juggle lesson planning, grading, meetings, and extracurricular activities, all while maintaining a positive work-life balance.
Effective time management not only reduces stress but also improves productivity and allows for more meaningful interactions with students.
This guide provides useful tools and top tips to help teachers manage their time more effectively.
Effective time management starts with understanding what’s most important. Given the numerous tasks teachers must handle, it’s essential to prioritise based on urgency and importance. As a teacher, you can prioritise tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix. This tool helps you categorise tasks into four quadrants:
By focusing on what’s important, you can avoid the trap of constantly reacting to what seems urgent, which can drain your time and energy.
Learn more about the Eisenhower Matrix
There are many digital tools available to help teachers stay organised, plan effectively, and manage their time. Here are some of the most useful:
Google Calendar is a versatile and user-friendly tool that allows you to schedule your day, set reminders, and share your calendar with colleagues. Use it to block out time for lesson planning, meetings, and even personal activities. You can also create recurring events for weekly tasks, ensuring you never miss important deadlines.
Trello is a project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help you organise tasks visually. Create boards for different classes, projects, or terms, and use lists to break down tasks into manageable steps. Trello is particularly useful for tracking progress on long-term projects and collaborating with colleagues.
This task management app helps you keep track of daily tasks, set deadlines, and prioritise your workload. Todoist’s “Karma” system encourages you to stay productive by rewarding you for completing tasks on time. It’s a great tool for managing both professional and personal to-do lists.
OneNote is an excellent tool for keeping all your notes, lesson plans, and resources in one place. Organise your content into notebooks, sections, and pages, and easily share your notes with colleagues or students. OneNote also integrates with other Microsoft tools, making it a versatile addition to your time management toolkit.
This tool tracks how you spend your time on your computer, giving you insights into your productivity patterns. It can help you identify where you might be wasting time and make adjustments to focus on high-priority tasks. RescueTime also allows you to set goals for how you want to spend your time, making it easier to stay on track.
Planning ahead is key to staying on top of your workload and reducing last-minute stress. Here’s how you can plan effectively:
At the start of each week, take some time to outline your main goals and tasks for the week. Then, each evening or morning, create a more detailed plan for the day. This helps ensure you’re always clear on what needs to be done and can tackle tasks in a logical order.
Grouping similar tasks together can save time and increase efficiency. For example, dedicate a specific time each day or week to marking, lesson planning, or responding to emails. This reduces the time lost in switching between different types of tasks and allows you to stay focused.
Developing a consistent template for lesson planning can save time and make it easier to plan effectively. Whether you use a digital tool like Google Docs or a printed planner, a template ensures you cover all the necessary elements of your lessons without starting from scratch each time. Have a look at some of Twinkl’s lesson planning templates.
Spend a few minutes at the end of each day preparing for the next. This might involve organising your desk, reviewing your schedule, or setting up materials for the first lesson. Starting your day with everything in place can make your mornings smoother and more productive.
Classroom management is an essential part of time management. How you structure your lessons and manage student behaviour can significantly impact your efficiency.
Establishing routines for common classroom activities—such as taking attendance, starting lessons, or transitioning between tasks—saves time and minimises disruptions. Clear expectations for behaviour and participation also help keep lessons on track.
A simple but effective tool, a timer can help you and your students stay on schedule. Use it to allocate specific amounts of time for activities, ensuring that lessons move along at the right pace. This can be particularly useful during group work, discussions, or timed assessments.
Begin each lesson with a quick activity that students can start as soon as they enter the classroom. This helps to settle the class quickly and maximises instructional time. It also gives you a few minutes to take attendance or prepare for the main part of the lesson.
Where appropriate, delegate certain tasks to students. For example, appoint a student to distribute materials, collect homework, or manage the classroom library. This not only saves you time but also promotes responsibility and independence among students.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for long-term success and well-being. Without clear boundaries, it’s easy for work to consume all your time, leading to burnout.
Decide on a reasonable time each day to stop working, and stick to it. This might mean leaving school at a certain time or avoiding work-related tasks in the evenings. Giving yourself permission to rest and recharge is essential for sustaining your energy and enthusiasm for teaching.
Try working in focused intervals, such as the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. This can improve concentration and prevent burnout. During breaks, step away from your workspace to stretch, walk, or relax.
As a teacher, it’s easy to take on too many responsibilities. Practise saying no to additional tasks or commitments that would overextend you. Prioritising your main responsibilities ensures you can give your best to your students and your own well-being.
Just as you plan your work tasks, schedule time for personal activities, such as exercise, hobbies, or socialising. Prioritising your personal life helps you maintain balance and prevents work from taking over your downtime.
Click here for more work-life balance tips
An organised workspace can enhance your efficiency and reduce the time spent searching for materials.
Keep your desk, classroom, and filing systems organised. Use trays, folders, and labels to keep everything in its place. An organised environment helps you find what you need quickly and reduces stress.
Use digital tools to keep track of documents, lesson plans, and communications. Cloud storage solutions like Google Drive or OneDrive allow you to access your materials from anywhere and reduce the clutter of physical paperwork.
Set aside a specific time each week to file documents, whether digital or physical. This prevents paperwork from piling up and ensures everything is stored in its proper place.
Time management is an ongoing process, and it’s important to regularly reflect on what’s working and what isn’t.
At the end of each week, review what you’ve accomplished and where you faced challenges. Did you stick to your schedule? Were there tasks that took longer than expected? Use these insights to adjust your plans for the following week.
Even with the best plans, unexpected events can disrupt your schedule. Be flexible and willing to adapt when necessary. If something doesn’t go as planned, adjust your approach rather than becoming frustrated.
Talk to colleagues about their time management strategies and see if you can adopt any of their practices. Sharing tips and learning from others’ experiences can help you refine your own approach.
Effective time management is a skill that can be developed with practice and the right tools.
By setting clear priorities, using time management tools, planning ahead, managing classroom time effectively, setting boundaries, staying organised, and reflecting on your practices, you can make the most of your time and reduce stress.
With these strategies in place, you’ll be better equipped to balance the demands of teaching while maintaining your well-being and passion for your role.
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