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Strategy #4 Be a Hunter—Track Down Controllable Factors That Add to Your Workload

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If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had forty people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job.

—Donald D. Quinn

[Ed] It is interesting that my conversations with Serena about strategies meant to help teachers in the classroom invariably take us outside the classroom.

We have different points of view about “workload”—Serena’s comes from her years as a classroom teacher, and mine comes from my years as an administrator. Our discussions lead to one observation: Addressing matters of workload in the classroom inevitably brings up workload issues outside the classroom.

So, we look for a balance—focusing here on classroom workload and appreciating the fact that workload issues also occur in other contexts (home, community, church). One of my favorite pieces of advice about how to get control of our workload is to actually understand where to surrender control.

Life is a balance between what we can control and what we cannot. I am learning to live between effort and surrender.

—Danielle Orner

When we talk about workload here we are going to narrow it only to school work as best we can. We all know how difficult it can be for teachers to manage a teaching workload, committee work, and parent conferences, as well as also manage their workload outside of school.

Workload can vary dramatically depending on the grade level you teach, the number of students in your class(es), and your students’ needs and interests. For the most part, elementary teachers teach all subjects to classrooms of approximately thirty students. Middle and high school teachers teach in a departmental format, perhaps teaching three to five subjects and 100 or more students each day.

Unfortunately, much of your workload is likely dictated by factors outside your control. Below are examples of factors that are in your control and factors that are often not in your control that could add to your workload.


[Ed] For example, my first year in the classroom I taught a different class each period. I was “low man on the totem pole” and got the “leftovers”—which is often (but not always) the case for first-year teachers. This was a factor I could not control.

Researchers at Bradley University found that larger workloads for teachers adversely affected students’ experience. According to these researchers, “If faculty are dissatisfied with their workload, feel overwhelmed, and find themselves not achieving good student results, they suffer, and consequently, students suffer” (James, 2015). So, when teachers are happy with their workload, it shows in the classroom and most importantly impacts student relationships.

We spoke with Jennifer Zimmermaker, an education specialist at Mesa Verde Middle School in Poway, California. She shared some advice that has helped her tremendously with her workload.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

My mother-in-law’s words still echo in my ears as she explained to me one of the most essential anecdotes to teacher burnout: “Work smarter, not harder.” I remember that at the time I loved the meaning of the platitude but wasn’t sure how to put it into practice. I was working through my lunch and prep with the hopes that I could come home early, only to find myself still having to use the flashlight on my phone to navigate the long hallway from my classroom to the parking lot where mine would be the only car under the dark evening sky. I would come home to find that my husband, who had prepared dinner based on my wishful thinking ETA, had already eaten and was ready for bed. I realized that I had to take my mother-in-law’s words and mantra to heart and start embodying her advice for a more balanced work and home life by finding innovative strategies that would help me get more work done in less time.

Below are some techniques that changed my workday for the better and ensured that I was able to have more quality time for those I love, including myself:

 I started to use my prep more efficiently by creating a to-do list of the most important pending items—limiting this list to two to three items. This helped make me feel more productive, and I was able to shut off distractions and really get to work.

 I also would do the thing I dreaded the most first instead of putting it off for last. This also helped me because I was no longer procrastinating and just got it done so I could enjoy that feeling of accomplishment that I felt afterwards.

 I set a timer so I could try to be more consistent in the time I left school, keeping my promise to my husband. I started to leave at 4:30 p.m. every day knowing that there was no way to get everything completed but that the work would always be there and moments with family are more fleeting than that. This also allowed me to make sure I was able to have quality time to eat dinner with my husband.

 I made time for self-care by booking monthly massages, sometimes scheduling them at 3:45 p.m. to ensure that I left school immediately after the buses. I would also pack my gym clothes and bring them to school with me. Then I would change before I left to ensure that I went to the gym. This was such a nice change from my old habit of coming home with the intentions of going to the gym but never leaving my house because I was just too exhausted.

 I stopped checking my work e-mail or bringing work home on the weekends, knowing that the time I spent at school would be more productive. When I took the time to really heed my mother-in-law’s advice, my smarter and more time-efficient habits helped me not only be a more successful teacher but a more balanced and content human being who was nurturing my relationships with loved ones.

In 2003 Robert Marzano and colleagues analyzed research from over 100 studies on classroom management. They found that in classrooms where students had strong relationships with the teacher, there was a decrease in disruptions by 31 percent (Marzano, Marzano, & Pickering, 2003). We all know relationships take time. We’ll cover relationships in a different chapter, but we wanted to point out that human connection can help your workload.

So, let’s get to it. Here are ten questions for you to think about—your way of auditing your workload. Which aspects of your workload can you control?


____________________ Average (Mean) Score

Score:

 16–20: If you have a mean score of 16–20, you definitely have many factors that are in your control that can decrease your workload. The good news is you can fix this, and you should! Look at areas where you rated yourself a 3 or 4. Be a hunter: Is there something you can do to solve this issue?

 12–15: This is where most of us may be after a few years in the classroom. This score means you probably still have some frustration with your workload. The good news is you can fix it! Look at areas where you rated yourself a 3 or 4. Be a hunter: Is there something you can do to solve this issue?

 8–11: Okay, we’re impressed. Look at your highest score. What factors in your control can you change about this situation?

 7 or below: Nicely done! You probably have time to build relationships with students and have spent time over the years hunting for ways to decrease your workload. Can you hunt a little more?

Take a few minutes to reflect on how you scored for each item. Use the questions below to guide your thinking or share with a friend or colleague.

Your Turn

1 Ask other teachers how they handle their workload. (You’ll know which ones to ask.)

2 Read and reflect on what others are writing about classroom workload. Even experts can learn from someone else.

Real Talk About Time Management

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