Time Management in the Classroom
HOW and WHY!!

Tick, tock, tick , tock - effective time management in the classroom of a lesson is so crucial not only in keeping you on schedule, and planning a successful day, but is also crucial in keeping your students' interested and motivated.

How Long Should A Lesson Take?

Effective time management requires you to consider several variables:

1. Whether you're teaching a primary or junior grade.

2. The complexity of the subject matter in the lesson.

3. And especially the academic and social level of your students.

Determining effective time management in the classroom accurately is a skill that you will develop over time.

A short lesson (so you thought) may take an hour and some lessons you think will take 30 minutes to an hour actually take only 15 minutes .

You'll scratch your head or want to pull your hair out. When it happens, deal with it in a professional and perhaps fun way.

Only YOU know your students. As the days and months progress, you will know how much time your students will need to complete a lesson activity after you have taught the concept.

Tips On Effective Time Management In The Classroom

Here's a list of some of the time management tips and teaching strategies that I have learned and developed over the past 30+ years of my career:

* Teaching a lesson to a primary grade class is so totally different than to a junior grade. Keep in mind when you teach a new concept to your class to always allow for more time - to demonstrate with additional examples and for students who "still don't understand".

* You will have students in your class who will be done their seat work before others have even put their name and date on their work.

* Always have back-up work for those students who are finished quickly, such as; finishing up other work, reading silently or quietly playing one of the fun classroom activities in your room.

* When giving students a time limit for tests, individual or group activities, use 3 different methods for indicating the time corresponding to the 3 different types of learners,i.e. Visual - Use your hands, Auditory - Use a timer (from the $ store), and Kinesthetic - write times on the blackboard.

* Countdown time remaining in intervals of 5 minutes from 20,15,10,5 and 1 minute warning (students want and need the time limits). You know how "time really flies" when you're preoccupied.

* If a lesson is too long, your students will lose interest, become restless and bored and then you will need to use some of the classroom behaviour management skills that I've talked about (read my classroom discipline page).

Tips On Effective Teacher Time Management

Teacher time management in the classroom is a very important commodity in the hustle and bustle of every day living.

You cannot manage time, it marches on. You must manage yourself with respect to this non-renewable resource.

Remember, there are 86,400 seconds in the day and it is estimated that most of us waste about 7200 of them every day. By managing to utilize time better, we can increase efficiency and therefore decrease our teacher stress.

Here are some effective time management strategies:

* Do difficult things first.

* Avoid "two places at once" conflicts.

* Use breaks wisely (power nap).

* Be reasonable (don't burn the candle at both ends).

* Make time for yourself.

* Make lists (in order of priority).

* Handle paper only once (i.e. don't make piles, put it away the first time).

* Use the "circular" (wastebasket) file (don't keep things you don't need).

* Keep a notebook for reminders.

* In the classroom, you are in control - learn to delegate. Decide the tasks that you must do, those that can be delegated to other staff members, and the tasks that can be delegated to your students.

Remember .... you are only human. Teacher time management starts with setting reasonable goals.

Use your time wisely and be prepared to change - but only one step at a time.

You have worked hard to develop a creative curriculum-based and fun lesson for your students, using the various teaching techniques and strategies for classroom management that you have learned through my website.

You don't want to lose them now, so keep in mind how crucial effective time management in the classroom is to a successful lesson, your students' learning and to you.

TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK!

Return from "Time Management in the Classroom" page to "Home" page

Return to "Classroom Management" page