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Simplify Your Life Through Routines- part 2

In Part 1 we shared the first 5 tips to survive the craziness at the end of the year and avoid feeling overwhelmed with work, deadlines and personal responsibilities. The key to managing these demands and simplifying your life is to establish routines. Here in Part 2 are tips 6 to 10 to help you create routines that can simplify your life and make your workday more efficient. 6. USE THE TWO-MINUTE RULE The two-minute rule, from David Allen’s, “Getting Things Done”, suggests that if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This keeps minor tasks from piling up and cluttering your to-do list, allowing you to stay organised and maintain momentum throughout the day. 7. SIMPLIFY…

Are Mindless Habits Contributing to Working Longer Hours?

July 6, 2023

Getting distracted at school can cause us to lose focus. This has a negative impact on our ability to get things done and can result in us spending longer hours at school. Whilst distractions such as interruptions, are beyond our control, some distractions come from mindless habits that are sabotaging our productivity and often we repeat them instinctively. The first step to breaking a habit that isn’t helping us, is to identify it. Here are some of the most common mindless habits to watch out for, according to Monica Torres in the Huntington Post. You constantly check your phone when there is a lull. We often operate at such a frantic pace that any sort of lull in our day…

Efficient or Effective – Part 2

August 18, 2022

In Part One we identified that many people confuse the issues of efficiency and effectiveness. As a result, people often fail to identify the true causes of their productivity problems and fail to solve them. We simplified the difference to… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things It is a difference of HOW you are doing things versus WHAT things you are doing. Effectiveness is about completing tasks which matter – tasks which make a difference to you, your families and your school. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” Effectiveness is an issue of quality of tasks. Not…

Efficient or Effective – Part 1

August 11, 2022

“I want to be more efficient and effective!” is a statement often heard in schools. Yet many people aren’t clear on the difference between being more efficient and being more effective. They are not interchangeable words and represent completely separate goals. Efforts to improve “productivity” in the workplace often lead to confusion as to whether they need more efficiency or more effectiveness. As a result, nothing much changes. Understanding the two concepts and correctly identifying which you need to focus on, is critical. The easiest way to differentiate between the two concepts is… Efficient – Doing things right Effective – Doing the right things This simple definition cuts to the heart of the matter – efficient is about HOW you…

Do You Have Piles?

May 19, 2022

Are you one of these people with piles?  No not the medical condition! What I mean is piles of paper on your desk, the windowsill, the floor etc?   Maybe you even have them on the bench at home or in your home office? You know the piles I am talking about. They are the, “I’ll do that later” piles. These piles drain your energy. Just looking at them exhausts you. Even when you are focused on other things, these piles pollute your sub-conscious. They distract your attention and make you feel guilty about the things that you haven’t done or still need to get to. Our work can seem never ending. Have you ever turned up to work, looked at…

A Weekend Routine That Sets Up Your Success

February 10, 2022

Whilst we all love to relax on the weekends, what we do on the weekends can have an impact on our working week. If you start the week feeling exhausted and stressed, it might be time to think about your weekend routine. What small changes could you make that might set you up for success? Whilst most of us love a sleep in on the weekends, research suggests that significant variability in our sleep and wake times may be having a negative impact on us. Waking up at around the same time each day helps to set your body clock. Sleeping in on the weekends can make it harder to fall and stay asleep the following night. Not getting enough…

Starting the Year Well

January 20, 2022

The start of a new school year should set the tone for the rest of the year. Most people start the year with renewed energy, focus and vigour. They have enjoyed a well-earned break and are ready for another challenging year. Whilst it is important to ‘hit the ground running’, we need to guard against ‘going too hard, too fast and burning ourselves out’. This can be a fine line.   Establishing systems and good habits are essential at this time of the year. Our intentions are good and hopefully our reserves are replenished. However having good intentions aren’t enough. It is our actions that count.   Whilst organisation is one of the keys to time management, many staff in…

Surviving Report Writing

October 7, 2021

Report writing time is stressful – fact! It is an additional task to do as well as your usual day-to-day responsibilities as a teacher. It also comes at the end of term when we are most vulnerable. However the stress is to be expected – don’t be surprised. It happens at this time every year! It is important to monitor your self-talk and keep the stress in proportion. It is particularly important to maintain the activities that reduce stress when we are at our most vulnerable. Often the first thing that we stop doing when we add the extra demands at report writing time, is our exercise routine. Taking a break to get some fresh air, raise the pulse and…

Interruptions Are Inevitable

July 8, 2021

Working in a school environment or teaching in a classroom is challenging in a myriad of ways. One of the causes for stress and work dissatisfaction is the number and severity of interruptions experienced by staff. We’ve all felt the frustration of getting stuck into a work task or classroom lesson, gaining momentum and starting to see great results, when… BAM – there’s a knock on the door; the phone rings; a student arrives late or must leave early; and so on. Rarely does it matter WHAT the interruption is, the focus is lost and it can be difficult, sometimes impossible, to regain momentum in the available timeframe. Whilst it’s tempting to throw your hands in the air and bemoan…

Data isn’t just a four letter word

May 6, 2021

Like it or not, data cannot be dismissed as “just another four letter word”. Now, more than ever, gathering, synthesising, analysing and reporting on data is an intrinsic part of working in education. Therefore it is both essential and wise to invest time in developing strategies and systems to not only cope, but thrive, in the data-informed school environment. Here are some ideas for lightening the load: Work backwards – start where you hope to end up. Know WHAT you need to assess, WHEN you need to report on it and WHO you are sharing that information with. Understanding the difference between formative and summative assessment is critical to this step. Leaders need to ensure staff are clear on their…

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