Allie Meier-Post 5-Chapter 12-You Only Have So Much Time

  I am always striving to be more productive and that everything I do with my students should not require time filling activities but meaningful lessons and activities. I am guilty of most weeks over planning. Rarely if even do I simply run out of things to do on my lesson plans, where I am taking activities from the next day's lesson plans. This is turn causes added pressure to either abandon what was not completed or roll it into the next week. On a daily basis I focus on reflecting before and after school. What do I want to accomplish today that I feel like we did not accomplish the day before. What are my priorities for the day? I think deeply about their needs and interests and what they are doing well currently. I try to make activities that are short and to the point while keeping a consistently smooth flow to our routine. I am a stickler for my routine being as consistent day in and day out as I can. My students can anticipate what is coming up next and are more confidently because of it. Of course there are constantly things on my to do list and I set a side a specific number of days after school so I do not have to take work home. I have become continent with leaving things here and leaving for the day. If I leave knowing that I worked hard and utilized my time that day. I can leave feeling successful.
  We have a literacy interactive notebook and social studies interactive notebook we use where students have to cut and glue and of course small illustrations to color. They always want to color but My rule is cut and color first and if you finish before time is up then you may spend the remainder of time coloring the small illustrations. I will also have to say that  I am not bothered by too many interruptions and my time blocks are sufficient. Now that we have a consistent program (Daily 5) I have two hours each morning to teach ELA. This is the first year that I feel that I have a comfortable block of time to complete what I need to in a timely manner. Scheduling is an area that is always closely examined and analyzed the first few weeks of school. I try my schedule out the first few weeks and sometimes it takes the whole first nine weeks to really get my schedule exactly the way I want it. This year especially with Daily 5. I felt like I was editing and making adjustments constantly more than I ever have to make sure Daily 5 was running appropriately while accommodating my RTI and speech students.
  Robin Woods is absolutely right, good teaching doesn't have to mean lots of hours. Instead of putting in countless hours, reflecting and thinking constantly will better prepare your mindset and how we approach instruction each day.