Time Management

Ok teacher friends...this blog post is for you. Especially those of you that are experienced! I've gotten really good at doing school work every night...you know grading papers, working on lesson plans, changing lesson plans, there's always something. I really want to work on time management this school year, even more this year than ever since I've taught NC History before and I already have the base plans that I need. It's been a big adjustment being at a new school, with a different demographic of kids, and also coaching.

I'm thinking maybe my IGP (for all you non-teachers out there, this is a growth plan that teachers have to do every year.) this year will focus on time management. When I do manage my time, I'm more focused and feel more "on top of things" in my classroom....this includes behavior, planning, everything. I'm always good at planning ahead, I mean it's not like I make lesson plans the night before or anything or have issues with behavior because I'm not organized....I just want to have more time for spending time in God's word, hanging out with Matt, playing with our puppy, and not always having school work to do. Last year I said "next year will be easier to be able to make time for intentional God time, spending time with Matt, working around the house, because I won't be teaching 2 subjects." Today on the way to work, I realized this statement is not true. We only make time for things if we really want to...ya know, I'm a lot less busy this year but I just can't seem to make the time for things that I said I was going to this school year.

Any thoughts? Teacher friends & non-teacher friends...I need your suggestions. What can I do? What can I fix? How can I be more efficient with my time?

Prayer

I've had to pray my way through the past 2 weeks of school. My new school is great, I love the faculty, and the atmosphere is wonderful but the kids have been a challenge. I've never worked with kids that were in my face the first week of school, the kids at my former school were so well behaved. God's strength has been the only way I've made it through the past two weeks. Please pray for me as I get used to working with a different dynamic of kids, that God will use me to somehow make a difference in their lives and that it would be more than punishing them for yelling out, disrespecting, and not doing work. Pray that I can show them God's love and that I can teach them what they need to know about North Carolina's history...and that they would care, right now I don't feel that they do because a lot of them have put no effort into their work.

On the other hand, I have just completed my first cheerleading tryout and it was very successful. I have chosen a squad of 12 girls and I think they have a lot of potential. I'm excited because this is the first year my school has really had a squad. We'll see what the future holds.

For now, I have 1 more day this week and I'm praying I can make it through the day so I can rest this weekend. It's now 8:30 pm and I'm going to BED!