Why Effective Productivity for Teacher Leaders!
As teacher leaders, We often assume that being productive requires enormous effort. However, effective productivity makes balancing all your tasks more manageable, not harder. There are many productivity benefits; read on to learn more about improving your teacher leader responsibilities by being more productive.
You Can Get More Things Accomplished
You can accomplish more when you are productive and put your most essential activities first. There are several strategies for ensuring that you stay on track, including putting all your tasks on your calendar, having a dedicated time block for each task that allows you to keep them separate, and multitasking.
Even though the widespread belief that multitasking is a route to productivity and more things completed in less time is false. You are dividing your attention between several stimuli; therefore, you need help focusing on your responsibilities. A better alternative is focused, deep work on one task at a time.
You Can Relax
Spending hours upon hours working on data analysis and IEPS without a break can have a serious impact on your mental health. Breaks give your brain time to recuperate and recharge after prolonged, focused work. If you take breaks regularly, you can focus more when needed.
Productivity comes into play because it's a way to make time for yourself. Taking time for yourself and relaxing will help improve your overall well-being. As a bonus, relaxation can help foster creativity and usher in a new perspective when challenges arise.
You Will Be Less Stressed
It's no secret that most people feel an overwhelming amount of stress. This stress can keep us from focusing, getting things accomplished, and improving our health. High-stress levels can also lead to low energy levels because all your energy is being used up by your brain stressing out!
High-stress levels are draining, leading to low energy levels, as your brain wastes energy stressing about things. Stress can also make you more prone to illness, both physically and mentally.
Thankfully, productivity can reduce stress. Effective productivity allows you to get your tasks done in the time allotted, keeping stress away.
You'll Make Fewer Mistakes
Nothing kills productivity faster than realizing you've made a mistake completing paperwork or writing an IEP and need to start over completely. Instead of moving on to the next item on your list, you're still stuck working on the same thing. Maybe you got distracted, lost focus, are stressed, or feel tired—all of these things make it more likely that you'll make a mistake.
Effective productivity can help you get your to-do list done right the first time. Being productive requires keeping your time and tasks organized and prioritized, which in turn reduces the number of forgotten tasks, missed details, and avoidable mistakes.
More Opportunities Will Be Available
Being productive means managing your time as a teacher leader, which can open the doors to new opportunities. If you don't have good control over your time, you may find that you are missing things that could help you flourish as a teacher leader. Focusing on productivity and planning not only gives you time to do the things you need to do but also time to do the things you want to do and spend more time with your family.
Moving Forward
Every teacher wants to be efficient and get the most out of their time. However, to achieve those objectives, we frequently need to alter our workspace to encourage productivity.
You can do this by determining your most productive hours during the day and scheduling your most difficult tasks for that block of time. Create a personal workspace so your brain learns to link it with productivity and concentration. Organize your workspace with everything you regularly use for work so you don't have to spend time looking for what you need. Finally, help eliminate distractions by closing unnecessary browser tabs and putting your cell phone away.
Being more productive can take time, especially when creating new habits and setting boundaries, but as you've learned from the list above, the benefits are well worth it!
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. She can be reached at hello@nicolettelesniak.com.
