Froglet Posted February 16, 2022 Posted February 16, 2022 Hello all, I hope that those of you having a half term break are enjoying it and that no one gets blown away in the anticipated storms! I’m sat at the end of what feels like a long day looking for some new strategies for managing my to do list - it’s epic! I tend to feel like I can (just) about keep on top of the ‘normal’ teaching stuff but I never get a proper chance to get some of those jobs done which need a bit more thinking and because they’re not as time urgent as planning for next week they never get done! How do the rest of you manage to make yourself do stuff?! I admit that I am a procrastinator and that during the holidays I also feel a bit resentful about spending ages on school stuff but I feel like I spend so much time fire fighting rather than managing workload. Any ideas gratefully received! Quote
finleysmaid Posted February 17, 2022 Posted February 17, 2022 On 16/02/2022 at 17:56, Froglet said: Hello all, I hope that those of you having a half term break are enjoying it and that no one gets blown away in the anticipated storms! I’m sat at the end of what feels like a long day looking for some new strategies for managing my to do list - it’s epic! I tend to feel like I can (just) about keep on top of the ‘normal’ teaching stuff but I never get a proper chance to get some of those jobs done which need a bit more thinking and because they’re not as time urgent as planning for next week they never get done! How do the rest of you manage to make yourself do stuff?! I admit that I am a procrastinator and that during the holidays I also feel a bit resentful about spending ages on school stuff but I feel like I spend so much time fire fighting rather than managing workload. Any ideas gratefully received! Plagiarism seems to work for me...if someone else has a good ides then pinch it ! instagram a great way forward with this! Delegate if you can. If you can arrange a day out of the setting during term time do it.....i got loads done doing this last week. Don't sweat the small stuff 1 Quote
louby loo Posted February 17, 2022 Posted February 17, 2022 On 17/02/2022 at 07:48, finleysmaid said: Plagiarism seems to work for me...if someone else has a good ides then pinch it ! instagram a great way forward with this! Delegate if you can. If you can arrange a day out of the setting during term time do it.....i got loads done doing this last week. Don't sweat the small stuff Yes a second this. I also think look back on the TDL and think about what's important, if you've managed so far without doing is it REALLY that important? What are the effects if it doesn't get done? If they are minimum- then just scrap them and move on! Try and start afresh with a new list with less on. I know being in a school is different from an early years setting, but please take care of yourself first 😊 You need to achieve a healthy work/life balance. You always sound very committed to your job role- but you need to put your own mental health first. Think- 'If I left my job tomorrow, would they still be able to carry on?' ...the answer will be - yes they'll carry on just fine! Bear this in mind when working on TDLs! Learn to say 'no, I can't do that' (and don't include 'sorry' in that statement!) and Delegate when possible. Quote
Froglet Posted February 17, 2022 Author Posted February 17, 2022 Thank you both. I do need to learn to delegate more but my scope for doing that is pretty limited. You’re right, the world won’t end if I didn’t do everything but I am generally pretty good at getting the essentials done. Time out the classroom isn’t really an option. In theory I do have a regular morning to do KS1 lead stuff but that didn’t happen last term due to staff absence. I need to find ways to ‘work smarter not harder’ I think. I do borrow/plagiarise where I can but it feels like so many things can’t be - staffing solutions, assessments, IEP reviews, trip planning, writing a sports strategy are all on the list of things that need doing… Quote
Mouseketeer Posted March 2, 2022 Posted March 2, 2022 I find the delegate more is fine in theory but you have to find them time to do the delegated job, which usually means you covering them for longer than it would have taken to do the delegated job yourself in the first place and that is when they do it without involving you too so two people are then working on one task 🙈 I cross out Sat & Sun in my work diary, and make a TDL for the coming week, I split the page into traffic light dots, anything important ‘must get done this week’ goes under red dot, anything ‘it really needs doing this week but can carry over to next week’ goes under orange dot, and the ‘I’d like to get done but it makes no difference when’ goes under green dot, it does keep me focused on the have to get done jobs when time in the office is limited (like all the time at the moment 🙈) Quote
finleysmaid Posted March 3, 2022 Posted March 3, 2022 ah that reminds me of the 2 d approach...... do....must be done now delay.....must be done soon defer....pass to someone else or put on the pile! destroy.....rubbish....tear up and put in the bin immediately 1 Quote
Froglet Posted March 19, 2022 Author Posted March 19, 2022 Apologies Mousie and FM I have only just seen your replies. Thank you - really useful to see how other people approach things. Last weekend I did empty my head and prioritise according to when I needed to get things done. I totally failed to do most of it but I did feel better for having got it all in one place! 1 Quote
Mouseketeer Posted March 20, 2022 Posted March 20, 2022 On 19/03/2022 at 18:00, Froglet said: Apologies Mousie and FM I have only just seen your replies. Thank you - really useful to see how other people approach things. Last weekend I did empty my head and prioritise according to when I needed to get things done. I totally failed to do most of it but I did feel better for having got it all in one place! No worries, just having a plan helps, I rarely get it all done, if I don’t make a note of the little things that enter my head to do or others ask me to do I forget now 🤦♀️ 1 Quote
Froglet Posted March 20, 2022 Author Posted March 20, 2022 On 20/03/2022 at 12:20, Mouseketeer said: No worries, just having a plan helps, I rarely get it all done, if I don’t make a note of the little things that enter my head to do or others ask me to do I forget now 🤦♀️ Me too. I have what I call my ‘to do’ book. I divide a page into 8 labelled with days of the week. The 8th is labelled new things and that’s where I try to write own things so I don’t forget. 2 Quote
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