You can utilize space and patterns to create systems that are efficient and that just work.
If a space was a song, your touch is the rhythm. There is a place for everything and everything has a place. But your style doesn't stop with stuff.
You use systems and organization to think through your lesson plans, communication, and tasks. You’re strategic with your time and attention, budgeting your energy and focus so that it's used as efficiently as possible.
You don’t mess around. There’s no room for fluff.
Planning, experimenting and tweaking your systems and routines to create the well-oiled machine of your classroom schedule and instruction doesn’t happen overnight.
It takes time, intentionality, and practice.
When you get a new student, a last minute meeting gets TON of details.
On the days that you are taking the puzzle pieces apart and figuring out how to rearrange it again, wondering if anyone knows how much work goes into it, don’t lose your confidence in your abilities.
When you see something that appears black and white, you have a million ideas for ways you can give it color and expression.
You look at obstacles that appear two dimensional and can instantly see multiple solutions.
You add your own unique touch to everything - your classroom, your instruction, student engagement.
Your teammates and colleagues look to you for classroom design ideas, inspiration for activities and stations, and quite possibly glorious handwriting - hello beautiful anchor charts!
Sometimes you wonder if your creative expression needs to be put on the back burner for the sake of your own time management. Because let’s be honest, you don’t have an endless amount of time to focus on creating engaging lessons or designing projects.
Someone’s gotta do the grading and the emailing and attend those staff meetings.
In moments like these, remember this:
Your creativity is an asset. And you don’t have to sacrifice it on the altar of productivity. Use it strategically to help you solve complex problems and find solutions.
Look for opportunities to express your creativity - whether that's in a kindergarten classroom or teaching algebra. Have intentional conversations with an instructional coach about your strengths and ask about opportunities to express them.
You’re energized by a challenge and look ahead for systems that would solve the bigger problems.
You raise your hand to pioneer and pilot new curriculum, new programs, and new routines.
You’re a big picture thinker.
Your teammates may look to you to learn about what’s new in ed tech, educational policy, or up and coming curriculum.
You’ve probably led (if you’re not currently doing so) as a department lead, grade level chair, or coordinator, and the role gives you so much energy.
You’re not afraid of change - in fact, you thrive in it!
You’re always thinking outside the box about how to approach teaching your content, handling a particular student behavior, or introducing a new skill.
But sometimes you get sidetracked by exploring the newest and greatest strategies that you don’t always follow through with the projects you started initially.
When this happens, step back and reflect on the systems that have worked for you in the past and commit to the ones that work.
Choose a couple of systems to tweak and innovate so that you don’t get overwhelmed.
Your ease and effort toward building relationships enables you to problem solve collaboratively and find solutions in ways that would take weeks, months, and even years for others.
You bring energy to the people around you by your demeanor and enthusiasm. You are quick to 🎉celebrate others, encourage, affirm, and inspire.
Students feel comfortable and confident in your class because of how you listen to them and champion learning. Parents trust you because of your authentic nature. You’re gentle and kind-spirited making it easy for them to connect with you.
Your colleagues probably come to you for advice, encouragement, and probably to vent now and then. You equip others to lead and call out their greatness by the way you support and affirm their expertise.
Your collaborative nature can be a source of energy to you, but sometimes, it leads to exhaustion.
You try to earn the trust of that one parent, but she still answers you with a short and harsh tone if she responds at all. You try to support your colleagues as much as you can, but sometimes it interferes with you getting your work done.
How much giving is too much giving?
Your collaborative nature is an asset and can enable you and your team to be more productive. But be careful to protect your energy so that you can continue to spend it where it makes the most impact.
Assess which activities seem to pull the most energy from you and put boundaries in places that will protect and budget your energy well.
Hi, I'm Grace.
I'm an elementary school teacher turned productivity coach and podcaster for teachers. I'm also a toddler momma, bookworm, and coffee enthusiast.
In my 4th year of teaching, I had a baby and realized that I needed to reprioritize my life if I didn't want to live a burned out life.
I read and listened to all the books and podcasts that I could get my hands on and ultimately discovered that productivity needed to be personal - tailored to my personality and strengths in order for it to work. When that clicked, I became more a more creative AND effective teacher, and a better, happier human - (oh and did I mention a lot more efficient?)
