5 Most Common Daily Distractions for Teacher Leaders
Distractions can occur in every aspect of your daily life—both personal and professional. From phone calls to emails to texts to meetings, these unexpected interruptions can significantly impact your productivity as a teacher leader. The urgency of this issue is why it's crucial to have a plan for keeping your productivity on track. To help and inspire you, here are five common daily distractions and ways to combat them.
1. Email… So Many Emails
It's not just the constant barrage of emails coming in; it's also the unreasonable expectation that you should respond to emails quickly. The practicality of setting aside specific times to check and respond to emails during the day and setting boundaries with work-related emails, such as not responding after hours or on the weekends, is also helpful. Also, if your school or district does not give you a phone, do not put your work email on your phone.
2. Phone Notifications
It takes the brain an average of 23 minutes to get back on track after a distraction - and our phones buzz on average once every 12 minutes. No wonder it's so hard to stay focused! When you need to focus, try putting your phone on silent and turning off unnecessary notifications. Just like email, set specific times to check your phone during the day. If you are still tempted to check your phone during hours you need to be focused and productive, you may leave it in your bag or desk drawer.
3. Task-Switching
Researchers have found that Task-switching, also known as multitasking, hinders productivity. Rather than trying to do multiple things simultaneously, the most productive individuals focus on one task at a time. If you've been a multitasker for a long time, you may find it challenging at first to do one thing. Meditation can be a great way to retrain your brain to focus on a specific task. Working from a prioritized list and taking short breaks throughout the day can also be effective ways to boost productivity.
4. Friends and Family
Unfortunately, we all have people in our circles who seem oblivious to our daily agendas and things to get done. Whether it's a chatty coworker in your building or your teacher bestie dropping by during their prep period, setting boundaries will help you stay on track and avoid unnecessary distractions. This sense of control over your time and space is crucial. Be polite but firm, and if you want, offer an alternative time and place to get together or remind them of your office hours.
5. Getting Distracted by Personal Duties
As teachers, it can be tempting to try and do some personal tasks during our prep time. It's best to explicitly set aside school hours to focus on school and non-school hours for individual tasks. If you do choose to complete personal tasks during school hours, set aside blocks of time and use a timer to keep you focused and on task. Avoid doing this too often, however, because it takes the brain a bit to regain focus after changing tasks, and that time adds up!
The five common distractions outlined in this article can be highly disruptive to educators' productivity. However, with some organization and mindfulness, we can overcome these interruptions and stay on task. Utilizing the tips I have provided, such as setting aside specific times for checking emails or responding to texts, focusing on one task at a time, and taking breaks throughout the day, will help you boost your teacher leader productivity and avoid unnecessary distractions.
Nicolette Lesniak is an experienced special education teacher leader and IEP Coach. She has presented at regional and national educational conferences to families and educators on the importance of collaboration and partnerships to improve student outcomes. You can contact her at hello@nicolettelesniak.com.
