In my first blog post in this time management for teachers series, I shared my top 10 teacher time management tips for how I “do it all”.

Disclaimer: I don’t, in fact, do it all. 

In this post, I’m going to break down one of those tips even further. We will dive into how to create your dream schedule. 

Merge Your Schedules

One of the mistakes that I often hear teachers making is creating two separate schedules for our personal and professional lives. 

To be completely honest, I used to do this too. I liked the idea of having two separate schedules, thinking that would actually support me in create space and balance in my life.

The trouble is, when you don’t look at your schedule holistically, it makes it much easier for separate schedules to interfere with one another. You are living only one life, afterall.

The reality is that if you spend more time wearing your “teacher hat” you will have less time to be a wife, mom, friend, athlete, scrapbooker, reader, etc. It’s important not to forget about the connection between your two schedules. 

Instead, we will create one schedule that encompasses both your personal & professional life. 

Must-Dos First

Decide what things are a must-do within both your professional life and personal life. Schedule those things first. For your professional life, it might be things like planning your week, grading assignments, or making photocopies. In your personal life, it might be things like picking up your kids from daycare, cooking dinner, or walking your dog. 

May-Dos Next

With the time you have left, schedule in those things that you “may do” that you’d like to be in your schedule. Be realistic but also, have fun with this. Now is the time to live the life you want to live. What do you wish you had more time for? Is it possible to schedule it in? For your professional life that might be things like changing your bulletin boards or coaching volleyball. In your personal life that might be things like a yoga class or date night.

Don’t Forget Flextime

Remember that you’re a human who needs time to breathe. Schedule yourself in some flex time. These special time blocks with give you flexibility and time to catch up, or just take a moment and breath.

I like to have professional and personal flextime blocks. This allows me designated time to catch up on another that I’ve fallen behind in because, as you know, things don’t always go according to plan.

Now, Follow It

The last step is simple… follow the schedule you created. Understand that life can be unpredictable and you may not follow it perfectly every week, but your schedule is a guide to live the life you’ve always dreamed of living.

If you want more actionable steps and support in creating your dream schedule as well as other tips for time management for teachers, check out The Balanced Teacher Method.