Stress-Free Organization for Teachers Who Need More Time

I recently polled several teachers, mostly upper elementary, asking them what some of the issues were they were currently facing. Naturally, many said they were short on time or resources, especially since they are experiencing a high demand for digital needs or support. Another part of my questioning had to do with classroom scheduling, classroom organization, and lesson plans, what teachers could use specifically, and what they preferred. Here's my breakdown below.

Time Crunch

I was disappointed, not going to sugarcoat that, that many schools are still pushing so hard for math and ELA to be a major focus of education, no matter the amount of time given, where many teachers said they were told to put Science on the back burner or only teach it every now and then. One teacher mentioned she was told to rotate Science and Social Studies when she had time, while another was told to scrap these subjects because they're not as important. HUGE PROBLEM, but I'm sure that's a rant for another day. I know it seems tough, but if you've been teaching for at least one year, find a way to incorporate these subjects into math or ELA, it IS possible.

I Need Better Plans

Many teachers are speaking up and saying that it would be so much easier to have lesson plans prepared for them by the day, versus year. Although it seems as though there is a little of something for each one. If you are feeling overwhelmed with planning, pull out your planner (physical or digital) and just start mapping what needs to be done. Everything else can and will fall into place.

So What's the Plan?!

In the end, my poll for physical versus digital planner was 51:44. Almost evened out, preferentially. So with that being said, there's wiggle room for all. If you still love writing your thoughts down on physical calendars, that's amazing! If you like digital, that's awesome too! I actually love using both. You can see some examples below:

I take PDF documents that I have saved as an image and upload the file into Google Drive. I then add them all at one time to create a digital calendar. Learn how here.

However, I also like a physical document to write on because I don't always have my tech handy to add to. PLUS, I love using fun and colorful pens too!

Make planning for yourself easier, click the button above to grab your own set of free calendars just like the ones I use. You can print the PDF or you can use the instructions linked within this post to make your own digital calendar. Let me know below how you've been using PDF documents in a digital format.

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