Getting
Organised!!!
If you’ve read my blog
before you will know that, in the last couple of years, I have had somewhat of
an epiphany regarding the way I teach. My perception of how I taught and how I
should be teaching has changed. This has had a huge impact on many areas of my
life.
We, as teachers, are very lucky
in that we have more holidays than most. I used to always treat my holidays as well
earned time away from work. I would make a point of not going anywhere near
school, school email or my laptop. I believed that I had put in the hard yards
during the term and I was more or less prepared for the term ahead – I could
justify my decision to impose a ban on all things school in many many ways.
Then came the epiphany!
Teaching has now become so
much more than a job to me. In fact it’s my passion and so I enjoy spending
time on my practice. It has also meant that, in order to give my best, I need
to be organised.
Being organised is in my
DNA. I love a good plan and to ensure that the preparation is in place so that
all things come together. I know that this is an area that many struggle with
and so I thought I’d share a few tips on how I get things sorted.
Planning
prevents poor performance
To do anything well you have to have the right
attitude and the determination to invest some time to the task. The big thing
for me once I knew I had the right attitude was to invest time into making a
plan. I started by drawing a document with three columns. I headed the columns -
Short term, Medium term and Long term (not very original, I know). However, after
more thought, it seemed more relevant to label them with more specific time
frames, which then became ‘this week’, ‘this term’, ‘this year’.
I've always had an A5 diary that I wrote in
everyday. Not memoirs or personal matters but things I needed to get done. It's
the best $10 I spend every year! However, my attitude has changed and I knew if
my teaching was going to reflect this, my organisation needed an overhaul.
After some serious contemplation I realised that what I wrote in my diary were
the things I had to do. What I needed to write in my columns was things I wanted
to do!
So I started to think about what I wanted to
achieve? Things I wanted to do this year to improve my teaching and to improve
my students’ learning. Things above and beyond what I had always done. I then
broke those down into achievable chunks and placed them in the appropriate
columns.
While there’s nothing better than a good list, It's
pointless unless you refer to it often. So I place my plan in a place where I
can read it, adjust it and work to it.
Benefits
A day in the life of a teacher is often littered
with interruptions – photos, music lessons, special assemblies – some of these
are expected but sometimes things happen out of the blue. However, I’ve found
that being organised, makes it so much easier when those other distractions
come along. You have things in place ready to go. You can focus on making those
individual lessons even better! And best of all, you have the flexibility for a
Plan B if necessary.
Possibly the most important benefit is less stress
or pressure. You’re confident because you have already put that thought and
planning into your preparation. You’re not thinking on the run as much. You may
find that you have more time during term and that is a luxury!
Rewards
Let's put this into perspective. Everyone has their
own interests and life outside of work. It's unhealthy to make life all
about working. But here's something for you to think about. I have found that
devoting a few days in the holidays has so many rewards. It sets me up for the
term. It gives me the confidence to deliver lessons that I know will be better
than the last time I taught the concept.
However, most importantly, it's the kids who reap
the rewards. I read a paper recently that described a Teacher’s responsibility
as “not just teaching Maths or English, but teaching the hearts and minds of
our students.” I view my job now as the opportunity to challenge my students to be the best they
can be. So it is essential that I set myself the same challenge. And now, I challenge you!
