Teaching is a challenging but rewarding career. As a teacher, you help shape the minds of future generations. With all of the deadlines, standards, and assessments that teachers face on a daily basis, it's vital to seek ways to make the job more efficient. Continue reading to discover hassle-free ways that teachers can increase productivity and decrease stress in their classroom.
Keep a Daily Schedule
A great way to make any job easier is to keep a daily planner. This is especially helpful for teachers, who often have more on their plate than the typical mind can retain. A daily schedule will help you stay organized and ready for each day.
Utilize Online Resources
There are a number of teacher-trusted online tools for educators. The Standards Toolbox, for example, offers a free lesson planner, grade book, calendar, and more. Here, teachers can guarantee standards accountability by aligning their lessons and assessments to state standards with just one click. They can also save time by creating lesson plans to be stored and reused next school year.
Collaborate with Fellow Teachers
Another helpful tip for teachers is to share resources with fellow instructors and benefit from their shared knowledge in return. For instance, if your school has four other teachers at your grade level, there's no reason for go at it alone. Rather, brainstorm with your educator network and learn from one another.
Create Templates for Regularly-Used Materials
Teachers that regularly use the same materials can save time by creating templates for repeat materials. Whether it includes worksheets or lesson plans, templates prevent you from having to do the same task over and over again.
Avoid the Mile-High Desk
It's no surprise that teachers have lots of paperwork to handle and process. A great way for teachers to maximize their time is to prevent their desk or workspace from becoming an unending stack of paper. It's a good idea to throw out unused documents so that you can clear space for relevant materials. And of course, avoid throwing unused stacks of paper into the garbage can - recycle them instead!
If you want to help the environment even more, think about your printing habits. Many teachers use a printer nearly every day. To do your part to help the environment, only print the documents you truly need. In addition, use remanufactured printer ink or toner instead of store-bought cartridges. Remanufactured cartridges have been recycled, meaning that they help to reduce the amount of waste and toxins that end up in our nation's landfills each year. What's more, these recycled cartridges cost 60 percent less than retail cartridges!
