5 Habits of Highly Productive Teacher Leaders
The most productive teacher leaders have three essential things in common: they're organized, set goals, and stay focused. However, there are other habits that these high-achieving leaders share that you may have yet to consider. Keep reading to learn about five of the best habits to help you improve your productivity and goals along your teacher-leader journey.
Stop Multitasking
Research has shown that multitasking impairs performance. While you can multitask okay on low-level activities, such as doing laundry while completing other household chores, it is harder to multitask when completing higher-level, big-picture objectives.
It may feel like you're accomplishing more, but switching between tasks disrupts cognitive processing. The most productive individuals devote specific timeframes to a single project to achieve a deep level of mental focus and get the greatest possible results. They block out particular times throughout their day to complete tasks and set up a focus timer to complete the task.
Treat Failures as a Learning Experience
The most successful teachers and leaders are fearless of making mistakes. They pursue what they want without overthinking the consequences, and each failure is viewed as an opportunity for growth. Taking chances is critical to becoming a productive, efficient, and self-assured teacher leader.
Productive leaders learn from their mistakes and take measures to avoid making the same mistake. The next time you feel like you have failed, ask yourself: What can I learn from this? What can I improve?
Have a Morning Routine
A consistent morning routine sets you up for success and improves productivity throughout the ever-changing day within education. For example, starting your day with a nutritious breakfast, 20-30 minutes of exercise, and reading or journaling can all help boost your energy levels, increase your focus, and create a more positive mindset to face those challenges. An easy but effective morning routine will set the tone for the rest of the day and help you maintain motivation to get things done. Grab The Morning Makeover Guide to help you take control of your mornings.
Apply the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, states that eighty percent of your results come from twenty percent of your actions.
To improve productivity, you must understand which activities provide the best results for you and the students and families you support. With that knowledge, you can focus more on tasks that actively move you toward your goals and help your educational team. Delegate the tasks that have little to no impact on your overall efficiency and focus on the small number of tasks that will get you 80% of the results you desire and improve student outcomes.
Embrace The Word ‘No’
It can be tempting to say yes to every opportunity; you never know what it might lead to. However, overextending yourself can lead to exhaustion, burnout, and frustration. If you constantly say yes to things that don't help you reach your goals, you are wasting valuable time and resources. This summer, I overextended myself. I will reflect on the things I said yes to over the next week and make changes for the upcoming school year.
Productive people don’t feel uncomfortable saying ‘no.’ They know the value of their time and treat it as a precious resource (because it is!). To reach your goals, you must be deliberate with your time. We only get 1,440 minutes each day - don't give that time away without considering how it will impact you and your goals.
The usual understanding of being a productive teacher leader is having the ability to complete a lot in a brief period of time. While this is true, it isn't comprehensive. True teacher-leader productivity entails the capacity to generate high-impact outcomes quickly—this type of productivity matters, not busy work that doesn’t have a long-term impact.
Adding the habits of stopping multitasking, not being afraid to make a mistake, having a mourning routine, applying the 80/20 rule, and embracing the word No will help you become a stronger and more productive teacher leader.
Nicolette Lesniak is an experienced special education teacher leader. She has presented at regional and national educational conferences and is available for school and district professional development sessions. She can be reached at hello@nicolettelesniak.com.
