Are you ready to unlock the secret to a successful and stress-free teaching experience? Look no further than the power of organization! As a teacher, staying organized is not just a beneficial skill, but it is also vital for your effectiveness in the classroom. From managing lesson plans to keeping track of student progress, maintaining order can make all the difference in creating a positive learning environment.
But, let’s be honest – you can only hang up so many Post-its or scribble on your hand so many times! I’m sharing my favorite simple to-do list that will be a game-changer for staying on top of things you need to get done in your classroom.
Now first things first. If you follow me over on Instagram, you may have noticed a theme I share over and over. It’s that you need to create a work-like balance that protects your peace!
The problem…
I vividly remember watching the evening news in my classroom every single night – even Friday nights! I’d drive home, eat dinner, crash into bed, and then do it allllll over again! By year three, I was exhausted! As you can imagine, this pace was not sustainable. I realized quickly that I needed to work smarter, not harder.
Related Reading: How to Organize & Manage Math Centers
How I solved it…
So, I started using a version of this to-do list {which was definitely not as fancy!} On Friday afternoons while my students are doing an independent activity, I start a new to-do list. I list out all I want to get done: plan Science for the month, run copies of B.A.T. Books, email parents, etc. as well as making note of any meetings I may have coming up.
This page basically condenses all the random notes I used to keep in the margins of my plan book or on the edge of the whiteboard!
Getting it all out on a Friday allows me to leave school at school for the weekend and have a plan to tackle when I’m back on Monday.
And here’s the best piece of advice I have for you as a teacher: You will never get it all done. So set a time you plan to leave your classroom each day and do the best you can. It’ll all be there tomorrow – emails, a stack of papers to grade, or a library to tidy.
Take care of yourself – your kids need the best version of you!
Grab your own!
Want the FREE To-Do List? Click the button below and I will send you the printable to-do list {in both color and black and white}
