3 Ways For Teachers To Save Time In The Classroom

3 Ways For Teachers To Save Time In The Classroom

As we often share, there is never enough time in the day. If we could pack two more hours or more of time into our schedule, that would be a relief, but unfortunately, our minds and bodies are exhausted enough already after our jam-packed 8-hour days. Luckily, these classroom hacks will cut down on tasks to help you make the most out of your day and feel like you are getting some much-needed extra time.

1.    Alphabetize Everything

Alphabetizing your classroom procedures and routines will shave off minutes each time you line students up and grade papers. By having an organized system, the routine will become automatized, and there will be less time wasted waiting around. Always collect papers in alphabetical order; that way, when you go to grade and file them, you can go systematically down the line to efficiently complete the task. Students will quickly learn their line order and remember that they must line up alphabetically each time.

2.    Digitize Records and Resources

Keeping digital records and grades helps to speed up the processes of grading and planning. Instead of having to shuffle through your favorite go-to planning tools or running back to your classroom to grab materials, they will be readily available at your fingertips when they are stored digitally on your computer or other devices.

When grading papers, you can save on time by grading in real-time; this helps save time later when you have to refresh yourself on the assignment expectations. Carry around a device and input grades as you give students timely feedback, and the expectations are still fresh in your mind. This will help save time while planning interventions and reteaching as well, as you can jot down notes about points of confusion or misconceptions as you track students’ progress.

3.    Set Timers and Structure Your Weekly Calendar

Creating a routine in which you focus on planning, grading, and conferences on specific days helps prioritize tasks and fit them into your schedule in an organized way. At times, it’s challenging to fit everything into your day and choosing which should take priority.

For example, when a recommendation letter request is dropped on your desk during your planning time, you may feel obliged to complete it right then and there and neglect your previous task of planning your interventions for the following week. Having a structured weekly calendar that accounts for miscellaneous tasks can make both tasks a priority. You’ll be able to take care of planning interventions now but not have to stress about forgetting the recommendation letter either. You know you’ll take care of it on Friday morning.

You’ll be able to direct others who make requests for your time with efficiency. Instead of having to get back to them about what fits within your calendar, you’ll be able to say, “my conference days are every Wednesday morning or Thursday afternoon,” etc.

Set a timer to complete a task within that given time and move on to your next task when the timer goes off. For example, set aside 30 minutes of your planning time for next week’s reading lessons and 20 minutes on science. Stick to the allotted times, so you don’t become overwhelmed in feeling like you are not getting anything done. Knowing your timer is ticking will help you subconsciously ignore distractions like your phone and wave off chit-chat with neighbors during that crunch time.

3 Ways Teachers Can Help High School Students Prepare for College

3 Ways Teachers Can Help High School Students Prepare for College

During high school, students must prepare ahead for what will await them in college. However, this can be difficult for students to do on their own.

In this case, teachers should step in to help students. Check out these ways teachers can help students prepare for college.

Scholarships

Many students struggle with picking out what college they want to attend due to the price of tuition. This leads some to either choose a college that isn’t right for them or just dropping out of college altogether. That’s why teachers should be helping out with scholarships.

While teachers often don’t have the money to give out scholarships on their own, teachers can help make a list of scholarships certain students should apply for. This helps out students from having to search around for scholarships that they aren’t eligible for. If you’re a teacher, make sure you give out a list of scholarships to your students.

Job Placement

Some students might feel like they are going to be able to get college down without any issues. However, getting college done is just one piece of the puzzle. After students graduate from college, they often have issues getting a job in their field of study.

To help fix this, teachers should present students to nonprofit organizations that place them in open roles. Teachers should also think about starting a job fair, allowing students to know what roles will be open for them once they graduate. Ensure you think about the struggle your students might have with job placement in the future.

Grades

Lastly, you should be thinking about how your students are going to get into college, to begin with. These metrics can depend on how good to bad someone’s grade is. That’s why you should be putting a strong emphasis on having good grades way before your students graduate.

For example, you might find out that you’re teaching a student that always gets lower grades in their class. You should sit down with that student to talk about what struggles they are having in the classroom. After that, think about working more with your students after class or offering ways that they can make up their grades with extra work. Either way, make sure you focus on the grades of your students if you want them to succeed in college.

Conclusion

As more students compete to get into top colleges, it’s not going to be easier for students to get into the college of their dreams. Students will need to do a lot of work on their own, potentially getting help from their parents as well. However, teachers do place a huge role in this.

By being a good teacher, you can create habits that stick with students for the rest of their life. Younger students also have the benefit of being able to learn a lot quicker than someone going to college later in life. If you’re a teacher, ensure that you’re preparing your students for the future.