Are you currently working as a teacher but also running a side business? I know how difficult it is to "do it all"! Teaching is a full time gig and an emotionally and physically demanding one at that - how on earth do we manage to fit in any more? Well it can be done, so if you're still in the classroom and are looking to manage a side hustle, here are some of my top tips for your time management as a teacherpreneur!
1. Use golden hours of your day
Have a look at your every day routine and evaluate when you think you are most productive. This time of the day is usually when you have some quiet, undisturbed alone time or when you're feeling the most fresh. For some people that's first thing in the morning - getting up before everyone else when it's quiet and you've had a restful sleep (or as close to one as you can!) For others it's once everyone has gone to sleep - there is no right or wrong, just find out when your golden hour is and make use of that time for productivity. This time is not for binge watching Netflix, it's for working on your side biz so make that time count, no matter how long you have!
2. Block out your calendar
Again, look at your routine and work out which parts of your day are purely for school and which periods of time you have available to your business. Just like you have as a teacher, timetable some slots in your week that you can dedicate to certain tasks of your business (it might not be every day and that's ok!). It could be that some times you're working on social media and others you're working on content creation. Play around with different routines for a while and see what works. For example, you might find that during the week is simply too manic to be productive after a long day of teaching, so you might decide to schedule an hour or two on your weekend to dedicate to a certain task instead. The bottom line is, if it's scheduled in it's more likely to get done.
3. Create a productivity list
This is important to getting things done, but it also helps if calendar blocking isn't working for you yet. Sometimes our daily routines get messed up and we can't stick to certain times every day, but at least with a daily productivity list in place you can have more freedom to do things when they suit you - but you are still accountable to getting them done! Just make sure you're not including too many things on your daily list - remember, you're teaching full time as well... play around with different expectations and find your own sweet spot for your expectations.
4. Prioritize your tasks by importance
Too often we look at what is easy or fast to complete to "get the ball rolling" but those tasks might not be important in which case, you're losing valuable time: you'll never tick the needle forward enough using this method. Instead, look at your to do list and work out what is most important to get done first. You'll make much greater progress in a shorter space of time!
5. Set aside personal down time
OK, ok, you've hustled hard teaching kids all day, working all night weekends (no one said being a teacherpreneur was easy!) so inevitably if you are to keep going for the long haul, you need to give yourself permission to take a break. Teaching is tough and takes up a lot of physical and emotional energy so it's necessary to rest! Use the calendar blocking technique to hash out some "you time" as well and if you need to take a break for a few weeks, then do that too!
Being a teacherpreneur (especially one who is actually still teaching, as I know many aren't anymore) is a tough gig and it's not for everyone, but it is rewarding being able to support teachers and students around the world too. I hope these time management tips have given you some ideas to keep on top of it all. I also have a fun quiz for you to take that lets you know your teacherpreneur style: take the quiz here!
I'd like to answer all your questions and help you how to manage teaching full time with a size business, so click on this quick survey and leave any questions you have so I can offer you more support in being a teacherpreneur! ?
Have a look at your every day routine and evaluate when you think you are most productive. This time of the day is usually when you have some quiet, undisturbed alone time or when you're feeling the most fresh. For some people that's first thing in the morning - getting up before everyone else when it's quiet and you've had a restful sleep (or as close to one as you can!) For others it's once everyone has gone to sleep - there is no right or wrong, just find out when your golden hour is and make use of that time for productivity. This time is not for binge watching Netflix, it's for working on your side biz so make that time count, no matter how long you have!
2. Block out your calendar
Again, look at your routine and work out which parts of your day are purely for school and which periods of time you have available to your business. Just like you have as a teacher, timetable some slots in your week that you can dedicate to certain tasks of your business (it might not be every day and that's ok!). It could be that some times you're working on social media and others you're working on content creation. Play around with different routines for a while and see what works. For example, you might find that during the week is simply too manic to be productive after a long day of teaching, so you might decide to schedule an hour or two on your weekend to dedicate to a certain task instead. The bottom line is, if it's scheduled in it's more likely to get done.
3. Create a productivity list
This is important to getting things done, but it also helps if calendar blocking isn't working for you yet. Sometimes our daily routines get messed up and we can't stick to certain times every day, but at least with a daily productivity list in place you can have more freedom to do things when they suit you - but you are still accountable to getting them done! Just make sure you're not including too many things on your daily list - remember, you're teaching full time as well... play around with different expectations and find your own sweet spot for your expectations.
4. Prioritize your tasks by importance
Too often we look at what is easy or fast to complete to "get the ball rolling" but those tasks might not be important in which case, you're losing valuable time: you'll never tick the needle forward enough using this method. Instead, look at your to do list and work out what is most important to get done first. You'll make much greater progress in a shorter space of time!
5. Set aside personal down time
OK, ok, you've hustled hard teaching kids all day, working all night weekends (no one said being a teacherpreneur was easy!) so inevitably if you are to keep going for the long haul, you need to give yourself permission to take a break. Teaching is tough and takes up a lot of physical and emotional energy so it's necessary to rest! Use the calendar blocking technique to hash out some "you time" as well and if you need to take a break for a few weeks, then do that too!
Being a teacherpreneur (especially one who is actually still teaching, as I know many aren't anymore) is a tough gig and it's not for everyone, but it is rewarding being able to support teachers and students around the world too. I hope these time management tips have given you some ideas to keep on top of it all. I also have a fun quiz for you to take that lets you know your teacherpreneur style: take the quiz here!
I'd like to answer all your questions and help you how to manage teaching full time with a size business, so click on this quick survey and leave any questions you have so I can offer you more support in being a teacherpreneur! ?
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