Time Management Techniques in the Classroom

Time is valuable. Use it wisely.

Managing your time isn't easy. Teachers and students get off track or sidetracked, too, for a variety of reasons. Interruptions and distractions mess up the best-laid plans. But a classroom runs more effectively and efficiently when you keep an eye on the clock and use time as wisely as possible.

Systematic Approach

When an educator and her students manage their time they're taking a systematic approach. This lets them be more efficient and productive. Time management also decreases anxiety because the teacher and students don't wait until the last minute to do something and end up in a crisis situation.

Activity Logs

Teachers and students should keep activity logs to let them see how they're spending their time. You may discover that you're wasting a lot of time on unimportant things. As a teacher, you should train your students in time management by having them list the things they need to do on a given day and how much time they think they'll need to do them. If a student practices a sport after school, he must figure out a way to attend practice and have enough time left for homework. This should be included on his list. And tell students to set priorities: Put the most important things at the top of the list and the least important at the bottom.

Allotted Time

Allot time for a certain classroom activity -- 15 minutes, say. When the 15 minutes are up the class moves on to something else. This way there is no grounds for grousing when students are told to close their books and go on to the next activity. The lesson here is to use allotted time and not waste it.

Stick to the Schedule

The teacher must establish a routine and stick to it for the most part. Certain activities are done at certain times each day and for a specified amount of time. The schedule can be posted so the students can see it.

Procrastination

Discuss procrastination, or putting things off until the last minute, with your students. Explain how it can put them in a bind time-wise and ultimately affect their performance in the classroom.

Teachers and Students

As a teacher improves his own time-management skills he can teach his students time management techniques as well. Everyone benefits from this lesson.

References

• Higher Self Improvement: Time Management
• 2 Scholastic: Procrastination