Managing a Busy Schedule

2012 Teaching Fellow - Thai Nguyen

As an ambassador for Arizona Teaching Fellows, a question that I am commonly asked is, “What is the biggest challenge to teaching?”  Lesson planning, unruly students, dealing with parents, and pressure from administration are all challenges that could easily top the list.  But, for me, time management is the biggest hurdle.

As a first-year teacher last year, I simply overworked myself.  I was spending too much time outside of school writing lesson plans, grading papers, completing assignments for my master’s courses, and participating in extracurricular activities at my school.  I did not reserve time for myself.

My mission this year was to not repeat this exhausting habit.  It is my goal to leave school every day no later than 5 PM.  While I have not met this goal every day this year, it certainly beats leaving school at 7 PM and sometimes 8 PM every day last year.  One candidate at a recent interview event asked me if working less has impacted the quality of my instruction.  If anything, giving myself more time to relax has improved my instruction.  I arrive every morning refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to teach.  It also helps that I am familiar with the curriculum now so I do not have to do much prep work. 

Teaching is a profession where you can literally work for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and still not be able to accomplish all the things you want to accomplish.  Many beginning teachers overwork themselves and get burned out.  To avoid burnout, it is important to prioritize your time and stick to a schedule.