How to Prioritize Your Time Before School Starts

As summer is winding down, thoughts turn to the upcoming school year and how teachers can be getting ready. There are back-to-school sales, back-to-school rallies, back-to-school ads everywhere, and I’m pretty sure I saw a cupcake decorated like a pencil somewhere. With all of the hype around this time of year, it is easy to get drawn into the excitement and anxiety that seems to be in the air. For teachers especially, this time of year is fraught with emotion, as all the unknowns of the new school year loom large in front of them. In my 17+ years in the classroom, I have learned that these last few weeks of summer can be one of the best times of the year, second only to the joy of actually meeting and getting to know my new group of students. This process has not been by accident, however. Over the years I have learned that there are things I can do to help get me ready to put my best foot forward. I would love to share what I do with you by showing you how to prioritize your time before school starts. 

I know I feel better when my classroom is set up and ready to go. The question is, does your classroom really have to be ready four weeks before school starts? Probably not. There are other, more fulfilling things you can be doing to help fill your bucket before the beginning of a new year. One way to prioritize is through reflections and questioning. I get out a journal to help me figure out what would be most effective for me in the last few weeks before school starts. Here are a few questions you may want to reflect upon before the year begins.

1. If I were to say I was stressed about something right now, what would it be and why? Is this something I have control over?
2. What kind of self-care is most meaningful to me? Is there any way to work that into the next few weeks so that I am able to be my best for my students?
3. What can I do to improve myself as a teacher? Can I take any small steps towards that goal in the next few weeks?
4. What books have I read recently, and did any of them strike a chord? If so - why? If not - what would I change to make the book more impactful?
5. Have I helped to put a smile on someone else’s face recently? Is there anything I can do to give back to my community?

I find that answering one or more of these simple prompts often helps me to be more reflective and thoughtful. From this point, I would look at my calendar, and actually, put events on there. For example, at 10am on Friday, August 16th, I will be going to the library to look for a new book to read. I purposefully plan this so that I have something new to dive in to over the weekend. I also have time blocked out to go work in my classroom. One of these things is no more important than the other, they carry equal weight. Getting my classroom ready is important, so is getting myself in the best mental and physical place possible.

We all know that a teacher’s greatest commodity is time. So why would we spend the precious little time we have each summer back in our schools and classrooms? I am a better teacher when I have prioritized some time for myself, and I bet others are as well. Take this time to be proactive about rejuvenation in whatever way works best. As for myself, between now and Labor Day, you will probably find me prioritizing my time lost in a good book.

Saying No Is Self Care, Here’s How...

You are a busy, busy person. You get up early in the morning and start your day, and end your days grading papers and planning for your next day. You have to grade papers, write lesson plans attend meetings, contact parents, do report cards and that's all outside of actual teaching. When does that leave time for family, friends and most importantly YOU? How many teachers neglect the important people in their lives and themselves because they work around the clock?

Your dedication makes it possible for people to learn everything that they need in order to be successful in their next phase in life. But what about you? Besides your normal responsibilities, you have so many other obligations. There are family needs to take care of, there are committees to serve on and after school activities that need to be organized and supervised. There are so many things to do. But what about you?

When is the last time you took a step back and asked yourself if you were getting what you needed? When is the last time you evaluated if what are doing with your life makes you happy? We are not meant to only work, come home, and tend to duties. We are built for joy as well as duty. That means that you are going to need to find another way to be. But how do we find our way back to joy? One of the best places to start is by saying no to the things that don’t bring us joy.

How do we get to a place in life where we are able to say no? We love the idea of making the people around us happy. The disappointment in their faces when we see that our no has let them down in some way is hard to bear. But you have to learn how to say no. It is essential for self-care, and here is why:

1. You are only one person - you cannot be responsible for saving the entire world. You have minds to shape, lessons to teach. You need as much energy as possible to make that happen. You are one person, so you cannot do it all. Sometimes you have to know your limitations and just say no.
2. There is probably someone else who can help - Most of the time, though we like to believe we are the rescuers of everyone, there is usually someone else who can do what we are being asked to do. If you don’t have space in your life to fulfill the request your person is making of you, let them move on to the next person.
3. You don’t want to grow resentful - if you are the type who always says no, never wants to let anyone down, and always shows up, you are going to eventually grow resentful. I know that this feels unlikely to you right now, but trust me, it is the truth. You are going to be tired, and you’ll find that not everyone who you have helped is going to say yes to you, and you are going to be very angry at them for it. Remember, we do things out of the kindness of our hearts, and while it is ok to help from a sense of obligation, that should not be so burdensome that you cannot enjoy your life.

Saying no feels like one of the hardest things you can do sometimes. Take a deep breath. Though it will take some getting used to, you are going to find that your world and your schedule will open up to make time for the things that matter to you.