There is a complexity to school days that requires good management.
As I think of that complexity, I find the following events to be most challenging.
Hallway Questions and Conferences
Due to the complexity of the day, teachers are often asked important questions during hallway transitions. Typically these transitions are short and there's a purpose to a teacher's direction, hence there's rarely time to give the questions or impromptu conversations the time and thought they deserve. Hence, as much as possible, the response to these events should be, "I want to give your question/conversation the thought it deserves, so let's make time for this when we have a few minutes."
Last Minute Requests and Responses
Since educators are typically responsible for large groups of students, it takes time to prepare for quality learning experiences. Hence there's rarely the time to respond to last minute requests or to have to wait for last minute responses. As much as possible, it is advantageous to use lead time with both responses and requests as that acknowledges the necessary time educators need to prepare for quality teaching and learning.
Timely, Inclusive Goal Setting
At times, educators learn of goals well after the year has started and plans have been made. This is challenging for educators who rely on early year routine-setting and scheduling to support the year's teaching/learning goals. Also, at times, educators may receive goals that they have had no say in which can be disconcerting particularly if the goals don't match an educator's perspective, research, or experience with regard to what students, schools or systems need. Hence, in the best of circumstances, educators should be included in the goal setting process, and those goals are made prior to the start of the school year.
Administrative Support
Educators at some levels have significant administrative support while educators at other levels have little to no administrative support. Administrative support could include support with copying materials, making phone calls, completing purchasing orders, organizing field studies, and managing other paperwork. This is often an inequity that occurs in school systems, and one that needs to be analyzed since all educators today need some administrative support in order to meet the extensive expectations for this kind of work with very little time in the day to complete administrative tasks.
Breaks
While many may think it's crazy, it is true that educators often can't use a restroom due to the fact that they are alone with large groups of students for extended periods of time. It's important to analyze your schedule well and see where you can get that short break in the day by asking a neighbor teacher or assistant to watch your class on a regular basis during those long mornings or afternoons with no break.
It's also important that educators take the time they need to have a healthy lunch and planning period during the day. When educators give up their time for lunch or planning, they dilute their ability to do their best possible work. If the job expectations are humane and reasonable, it's probably that the teaching will also be humane and reasonable.
Reasonable Expectations
It's also important for educators to speak up as a group when the expectations are unreasonable. For example sometimes new curriculum is added, but nothing is taken away. Hence an educator may be responsible for teaching that equals 900 hours in a year only has 600 hours with students. At times this may happen because the expectations look good on paper, yet that should not be a factor if the truth is that there isn't the time in the schedule to do the work well. There will always be a bit of give with this topic, but a "give" of 300 hours becomes undue and impossible stress on educators and students who are working diligently to meet the expectations set.
Educators need to bring to school positive, optimistic, can-do demeanor and effort. It's important that we're focused on doing the good work possible with a caring, empathetic approach to all students and colleagues. To be able to have that positive demeanor, it's important that we make sure that our expectations are realistic and doable--that will help us to build the dynamic, positive, and student-centered teaching/learning cultures we all value.
