Seen in: https://www.educationworld.com/teachers/finding-balance-time-management-new-teachers-first-months-school#google_vignettehttps://www.educationworld.com/teachers/finding-balance-time-management-new-teachers-first-months-school#google_vignette

Finding Balance - Time Management for New Teachers in the First Months of School

teacher

The first weeks of teaching often feel like standing inside a mini hurricane: lessons to plan, relationships to build, and responsibilities arriving faster than anyone can prepare for them. Every teacher starts with the same twenty-four hours each day, but how we use that time determines whether we end the week feeling drained or with enough energy left to keep moving forward. If anyone tries to do too much, burnout or failure are possible outcomes, and that includes teachers with experience and first-timers. For new teachers in particular, learning a few simple strategies and testing them in small ways can help transform those chaotic early months into a more sustainable rhythm.

Prioritize What Moves Learning Forward

Time and energy are most valuable when directed toward what matters most: student learning. It’s easy to get swept up in decorating a classroom or designing elaborate lesson materials, but not every task deserves equal attention. In the interest of not becoming overwhelmed, we might ask ourselves whether the hours we spend will truly deepen students’ understanding, or whether those hours can be better used elsewhere. Sometimes good teaching is less about doing more, and more about identifying what to let go.

Suppose that a new math teacher wants her bulletin board to be interactive and colorful, and she initially plans to spend an entire weekend designing it. Instead, what if she decides to keep the board simple and uses the time to think through her small-group activities for fractions? While it’s always nice to have a bright and colorful space, the main priority in any classroom nearly always lies with student learning and growth.

Build Routines That Save Minutes—and Energy

A classroom runs more smoothly when everyone knows what to expect. Predictable routines not only create structure for students but also save teachers countless minutes across a day. By streamlining tasks that occur on a regular basis, new teachers take decision-making off their plates and free up mental energy for the unexpected moments that inevitably come

Very often, the early minutes of class can be designed so that student learning gets underway while administrative tasks are completed. For instance, envision an English class in which students walk in each day and immediately begin a short activator projected on the board. While students work quietly, their teacher can take attendance and ensure that all students have their materials for learning. Simple routines like this create calm, maximize class time, and spare teachers from juggling multiple tasks at once.

Use Planning Time as Planning Time

When the day gets busy, planning periods can quickly disappear into conversations or errands, leaving more to be done in the evenings. Treating planning time as protected work time allows teachers to complete the tasks that most need professional attention while school resources and equipment are still available. Clear boundaries around this time pay off later in the day, when we are apt to have less focus and just want to unwind.

As an example, suppose that a science teacher who is prone to using planning periods for walking through the hallway and engaging in conversations begins closing his classroom door during prep and setting a timer for forty minutes of focused work. During this time, he grades lab reports, preps materials for the next lesson, and makes copies. If colleagues invite him to join them for a quick happy hour after work, he can join the fun with peace of mind knowing that tomorrow’s essentials are already taken care of.

Learn the Art of "Good Enough"

New teachers often hold themselves to impossible standards, striving to make every lesson flawless. Spoiler alert: There is no such thing as perfect teaching, and chasing it leads only to exhaustion. Choosing “good enough” in certain situations allows teachers to invest energy in the places where it will have the greatest impact. Students don’t remember perfectly formatted assignments; they remember the way a teacher guided them through meaningful learning.

Think about how we can apply the art of “good enough” to a huge task: grading. Suppose a ninth-grade history teacher faces a stack of 120 essays. Instead of writing full paragraph comments for each, she might instead create a bank of five short feedback statements and add one specific note to every paper instead of a barrage of comments. Students still receive specific guidance about their writing, and the teacher has saved several hours—time she can then use to plan an engaging simulation activity for her next unit.

Set Boundaries Beyond the School Day

It can be tempting to stay late every evening or continue working long after leaving school. However, teaching is demanding enough without carrying it into every hour of our personal lives. Setting a reasonable cutoff time—and sticking to it—helps to build longevity in the profession. Students benefit more from a teacher who is rested and energized than from one who is stretched thin.

I recently spoke to a middle school teacher who experienced a massively positive change when she decided she would leave the building by 4:30 each afternoon, no matter what remained on her list. She chose a single small task—like grading a short quiz—to take home if necessary, and then stopped. Over time, she noticed that this practice not only gave her evenings back but also made her mornings more productive, since she arrived at school with more energy.

Seek Support—and Accept It

No teacher succeeds in isolation. Collaboration is central to time management because it reduces the urge to reinvent everything alone. Experienced colleagues often have resources, strategies, or advice already tested in the classroom, and asking for their help builds both efficiency and community. Accepting support is not a weakness; it is how teachers thrive together.

When I was a new teacher, I was nervous about creating assessments for the books I taught. What if the quizzes I created weren’t fair? I learned to reach out to a veteran colleague on my team, who shared a set of reading quizzes and discussion prompts. Instead of making things from scratch when they didn’t fit my class perfectly, I adapted the materials to match my students’ needs. The shared resources gave me the much-needed space to focus on how I would guide discussions, rather than scrambling to create content.

In the beginning, time will always feel scarce, but choosing how you direct it makes all the difference. By prioritizing learning, establishing routines, and leaning on the support around you, you create breathing room for yourself. The goal isn’t maximizing every minute—it’s building a balanced rhythm that sustains both your teaching and your well-being.

Written by Miriam Plotinsky, Education World Contributing Writer

Miriam Plotinsky is an instructional specialist with Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland, where she has taught and led for more than 20 years. She is the author of several education books (both out and forthcoming) with W.W. Norton, ASCD and Solution Tree. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher with additional certification in administration and supervision. She can be reached at www.miriamplotinsky.com.