You're struggling to balance work and life in Education. What can you do to manage your time better?

To manage your time better in education, establish clear priorities and boundaries. Schedule dedicated time for work and personal activities, allowing for flexibility. Break tasks into smaller, manageable chunks and set realistic goals. Delegate tasks when possible and learn to say no when necessary. Practice self-care, including regular breaks and physical activity. Utilize tools like calendars and task managers to stay organized, and regularly reassess and adjust your schedule as needed.

In my experience in new home sales, Pile A of buyer cards was for truly interested prospects. Pile B was for contingent prospects (they needed to sell in order to buy). Pile C was for maybe in a few years type of prospects. And Pile D was for “looky-loos.” Therefore, I focused my return phone calls on Pile A, I re-educated them re the pros and cons of the buying experience, the value of the investment, etc. Usually, they came back for another look and more education. More content, more valuable information which answers all questions, helpful advice, caring attitude, all made for happy prospects who turned into sales. It’s in the Bible: Weed out the chaff. Devotion, caring, honesty. The same is true for an effective educator.

To manage your time better can be achieved when you budget your time well according to your daily schedule. You cannot be having things at random and anticipate accomplishments of your tasks.

You need to pin point exactly where the problem is. Change the habits that are causing the imbalanced area and replace with new habits.

I've drawn a line in the sand that I won't add work email accounts to my phone. That way, I'm only seeing and answering mail messages during work hours. I also agree with the idea that it's good to set specific times of day to answer emails too. For me, they are the first item of the day, and the last item of the work day as well.

I discovered the importance of setting boundaries and limits by actually trying it. After many years of teaching and struggling with time management, I decided to try something different: boundary setting. I specified a weekly time for carry out tasks: answering emails, calling parents, tidying the classroom, planning the week and marking, and I stuck to it. I also specified what time I had to leave the classroom by and stuck to it too. By doing this, I discovered I became more efficient, more relaxed due to less decision making every week, and I gained more time for myself. Best of all, I did not need to reduce the quality of my teaching.

I’m still a fairly new teacher but after my first year, I drew the line with how long I stayed at school afterwards and how often I brought things home. Doing that helped the relationships for my family and I’m so happy that I made those boundaries. Does it still happen from time to time? Yes but often I get things done during plan/recess/lunch periods.

It requires a mindset shift. I've learned that when I overextend myself it only leads to more overextension. Working more now doesn't seem to lead to less work in the future. Rather, I've learned that "work begets work." You must make peace with building a career that you can sustain over the long haul and that will allow you the time you need for family, fun, health, travel, etc. That won't look the same for everyone and it might change throughout one's career. If saying "no" means others might perceive you as less committed, maybe that's okay. We are allowed to turn down offers, opportunities, and challenges. We are allowed to set boundaries. Perhaps the "consequences" aren't as scary as we make them out to be.

In my experience, I backwards plan when I have a large task. I’ll create smaller tasks along the way do that I can meet the larger goal. I use my outlook to carve out time for all the smaller tasks so that everything can come together and meet the deadline. In the case of IEPs, everything is time sensitive and I have to collaborate with a range of individuals. Creating a plan with checkpoint tasks ensures that the IEPs and meetings are high quality.

Fun fact: you're probably not crazy. You work in education, and yes, it really is that tough. Bottom line: you are responsible for taking care of yourself. Give yourself the grace to be a human. Use the PTO for fun, not just errands and appointments. Try therapy. Rest, relax, and recover. Seek peace and pursue it. No one benefits from burnout except Big Pharma. Stay out of the staff lounge if it's toxic. Drink water and mind your business. It's okay to fail. Your role as an educator is not the most interesting thing about you. Find your interests and invest in them. For all the love and care you give to pouring yourself into the work for students, pour equal amounts into you. Build community, everything is better with friends.

Prioritize self-care by setting boundaries on work hours, scheduling regular breaks, and establishing designated relaxation time. Practice mindfulness or meditation to alleviate stress. Utilize task prioritization and goal-setting to manage workload effectively. Foster a supportive community among colleagues to share insights and strategies for maintaining mental health. Regularly assess and adjust your schedule to ensure a balance between professional and personal responsibilities.

As I think of taking care of yourself, of balancing work and life, I think of a few of the other subheadings in this section. Boundaries are vital. Email and other digital communication is super helpful, but know the limits that work for you personally and stick to them. I also believe that proactive lesson/project planning is what keeps education professionals sane. Thus planning can look differently between individuals, but it is helpful by making headspace to meet the other challenges that always seem to come along.

Something I need to become better at is self-care. I keep saying it’s something that I’ll do but I also am good at giving advice on how to do self-care. I don’t make resolutions but I make SMART goals every school year and every trimester with my students and self-care is definitely something I do want to get better at. How do you practice self-care in your busy lifestyle?

By taking care of yourself, you will be a more effective educator. Spend time reflecting on things that bring you joy and relieve stress. Be sure to dedicate time each week to engaging in activities to renew yourself.

One thing I’ve found helpful to growing with support is being able to ask for it. Asking for help and support can be a trying task in education as sometimes asking for help can result as being considered a “weak” teacher. I always look forward to post-observation conversations to hear constructive feedback and how I could get better. I often ask questions and for suggestions because no matter how long I’ve teaching, I can always be better; not just for myself but for my students.

Achieving work-life balance involves more than just finding a balance between work and personal life. It also means prioritizing enjoyment and fulfillment in both areas. It's not only about balancing work and life but also about emphasizing more life and less work. This includes considering the efficiency of our work, reducing unnecessary workload, and increasing time spent on personal well-being and relationships. Creating a well-rounded and fulfilling life involves setting boundaries, managing time effectively, and integrating work and personal activities in a way that supports overall well-being and happiness.