Are you making any of these six teacher productivity mistakes? As a productivity coach, I see teachers make these mistakes all the time. What’s worse is that teachers think they are being productive, but their strategies are actually counterproductive.
If you want to boost your productivity for good, make sure you get on the waitlist for the Productive Teacher Toolkit!
Productivity Mistakes: Using a brain dump as a to-do list
Does your to-do list never end? Here is the mistake you’re probably making.
We’re often taught to make a to-do list by just making a list of everything we have to do. And then we wonder why we’re never done.
Did you read that? We’re making a list of everything we have to do! No wonder we’re not getting it done. Of course those tasks for the end of the school year need to get done, but do they really need to be on your to-do list in February?
Productivity 101
The list of everything we have to do is really a brain dump. Brain dumps are long, messy, and disorganized. And they are not meant to be your to-do list.
Brain dumps do not tell you where to start or what is a priority. And they do not include a time frame. Brain dumps are a tool to help you create your to-do list. They’re just the first step.
Instead of using your brain dump as your to-do list, try a power list. Power lists are short to-do lists for the day. You can read all about them (and brain dumps too) here.
Mistake: Not preparing for your productivity zone
Don’t worry. We are all definitely guilty of this productivity mistake: Your planning period is starting, and it’s time to finally sit down and get to work. But what do you do first?
This time is precious, and we have none to waste. And yet, that’s exactly what happens when we sit down to work, but don’t have a plan ready to execute.
We plan our lessons and instructional time, but we often skip planning for our planning time.
Not having a plan when you sit down to work is a huge mistake.
It can be one single task or a short list of things that need to be done. But either way, you need to have a plan in place before your planning period begins to avoid wasting time figuring out what to do.
Productivity Mistakes: Multitasking
Multitasking used to be a badge of honor. We’d say, “I’m good at multitasking” as we respond to emails while heating something up in the microwave and grading papers. And then we’d overheat our leftovers, send emails with typos and miscalculate a grade or two.
Here’s the problem with multitasking. Contrary to popular belief, our brains are only able to fully focus on one task at a time.
Multitasking = Task Switching
So while we’re “multitasking” our brains are actually task-switching. Aka switching rapidly from one task to another. The problem is that any task requiring our full focus isn’t getting it. When our brains switch from task to task, it takes a moment to catch up. And when we multitask, we’re often switching to another task before our brain catches up. This is the reason why we make so many mistakes when we multitask.
Ultimately, we’re not saving any time by multitasking. It is actually taking us longer to complete these tasks.
However, there is a time and place for multitasking. Check out this post to read about the benefits of multitasking.
Not Batching is a Big Productivity Mistake
This mistake goes hand in hand with multitasking. (In fact, batching is the opposite of multitasking.) Batching is a huge productivity booster, and it’s a mistake to not utilize this strategy.
Batching is a process for grouping similar tasks to complete at once. When planned well, batching can turn you into a one-person assembly line, and allows you to get more done in less time.
Additionally, batching improves focus, minimizes mistakes, allows you to work ahead, and yields better results on your task.
One of my favorite tasks to batch is lesson planning. With a batching process in place, I’m able to stay one full week ahead in my lesson planning. Every Monday, I walk into my classroom with all of my plans ready to go for the entire week. I don’t have to work on the weekends or after school, and I get to start planning the following week.
Productivity Mistakes: Using organization alone as the solution
Raise your hand if this is you: You solve a problem by organizing. It works out great – at first. Then over time your solution breaks down, and becomes unorganized all over again. Cue the endless cycle. I hear this from teachers all the time as a productivity coach.
The thing is, organization does solve so many problems. Being organized saves you countless hours. You know where to find what you need when you need it. And, so do your students, which saves instructional time.
But organization can, and will, break down over time. Organization is never a forever solution. Organization needs to be paired with a system. Having a system to back up your organization will make your organization last.
Which leads us to our last of the productivity mistakes…
Not having systems
Systems are the ultimate productivity tool. In fact, you already have systems in place whether you realize it or not. Some systems are determined for us by our schools, but there are so many we can create for ourselves.
The key is to plan systems intentionally so that they work for us.
Systems are repeatable step–by-step procedures, and just about anything we do repeatedly can be systematized. Think of systems as your personal plan for saving you time.
When planned correctly, systems save time by:
- Creating a set procedure to follow
- Clearly defining where to begin
- Automating processes
- Creating consistency (for you and your students)
So how do you plan systems?
That’s the question I answer inside of my course the Productive Teacher Toolkit. In the course, I teach how to use my five-step framework to create and fix your own systems. (Because simply teaching how to implement my own systems won’t work for every teacher.)
Are you ready to give your teacher productivity the ultimate boost? Get on the waitlist so you don’t miss your chance to enroll in the Productive Teacher Toolkit.
Are you ready to boost your teacher productivity? It’s time to stop making these mistakes:
- Your brain dump is not your to-do list
- Plan for your planning periods
- Stop multitasking
- Start batching
- Stop using organization alone as a solution
- Design and implement systems
