[Cortney Howisey]

My time saving trick is to make lists. When I am accomplished during my day I am more relaxed. I also meal prep during the weekends or night before so I have breakfast for the morning. These little things go a long way. When I am more focused I am able to plan more activities for the kids and they love it.

[Becky]

Getting things prepared ahead of time is what helps in every day life. Having a plan and everything prepared and ready is the key to a smooth day.

[Jerica]

Having a calendar and to-do list with low to high priority tasks.

Checking “in” with yourself through the day and taking breaks as needed to refresh and restore focus.

[Erika]

I’m not a morning person so preparing the night before and setting alarms for morning tasks help keep me on schedule. By being prepared and ready for the day before I get into the classroom I can be the best teacher I can be for our students.

[catherine]

I like to keep transitions smooth by showing children what’s next, reducing time lost to explanations or chaos. Quick transitions gave us extra time for a storytelling session, sparking laughter and engagement.

[tekoah]

I use a checklist on my desk, also sticky notes. When I’m done with a task I throw away the note or check it off the list. I write things down right away or I forget them.

[Jenee]

I keep a journal planner. It helps me set personal goals for the day, week and year. It is one of my post important resources.

[Trainer]

Jenee, using a journal planner is a great strategy for staying organized and setting clear goals. It definitely helps in managing time effectively!

[Shar Olguin]

My time-saving hack is to have a daily list and to prep what I can the night before. I swear by lists. If I don’t accomplish something on my list I just add it to the next day’s list.

[Trainer]

Shar, using daily lists and prepping the night before is such an effective strategy! It helps keep things organized and ensures important tasks are never forgotten.

[Ritu]

I am a opener teacher so get time to organize my classroom, keep things ready for activities, gather supplies.

[Trainer]

Ritu, it’s great that you take time to organize and prepare in advance. It definitely helps ensure a smoother day for both you and the children!

[Makayla Vasilas]

If I am planning on doing something extra that day with the kids I will start planning and try to get all the planning done the night before so its easy for me when I go in to just get out what I wanted to do with the kids and we can do it that day since I already planned everything the night before.

[Gisela]

My time saving hack is to get things ready for the week ahead every Friday by sorting all the activities that children are going to do throughout the week into the corresponding folders.

[Susana]

My best time saving hack is preparing my kids snacks and lunches before I go to bed. Also cooking in bulk saves me time, so I get to cook 3 to 4 times a week.

In school I try to always keep up or 1 step ahead with all the assisting I need to do or the kids and for my lead teacher. I make copies or cut material needed when the kids are resting while my lead teacher is doing the planning. We work as a team and we love how we work together.

[Katra Cavannaugh]

One of the best time-saving hacks I use is planning and organizing the most time-sensitive tasks first, such as getting the kids ready for school and making sure my mom’s appointments are in order. For example, I always try to prepare breakfast and set up lunch the night before so that the morning rush goes smoother. I can get the kids up, ready, and out the door faster, which saves a lot of time. If I’m efficient with those early hours, I can tackle emails and work tasks without interruptions. Another hack is batching smaller tasks—like cleaning up between activities, responding to emails, or checking phone messages—all at once so they don’t pile up throughout the day.

A golden moment that stands out to me is when I was able to organize a day where everything went according to plan, despite how busy it was. I had to make sure the kids were ready, get my mom to her appointment, and still fit in my work tasks—while also making sure the kids did their homework and were ready for bed at a reasonable time. The trick was sticking to a tight schedule, and because I had planned my time to allow for things like breaks and time with the kids, I was able to get everything done efficiently.

When my day is well-organized, I’m not scrambling to get things done, which helps me stay more present with my kids and focused on the tasks at hand, whether it’s work or helping my mom. It also allows me to wind down in the evening without feeling overwhelmed, which makes a big difference in maintaining a work/life balance.

[Kate S.]

I am a firm believer of lists with the ones on top being the most important and the items towards the bottom are the things that can be put off. I rewrite the to do list daily.

[Carrie]

I do all my lesson planning at least on month in advance, and have a box with daily and weekly folders. As I have time I prep the activities and store them in the day and week of the activity. I gather supplies at the beginning of the month and store them in my teacher closet so that I can have them in my classroom. The night before I leave I set up for the following day, take out the needed supplies. Our schedule is posted and we routinely follow that schedule, however there are days that this varies due to the children’s interest it could be a long or short activity. I do delegate a lot of prep work to my assistant teacher, she will prep during rest time, while I am planning and answering emails. We hold the children responsible for their classroom. We make cleaning a game and often they are excited to help. I will admit I struggle with the work like balance at times and will find myself in the school decorating updating bulletin boards, I have dialed this back however to just 1 saturday a month.

[Trainer]

Great strategies, Carrie! Your proactive planning and delegation truly enhance the learning environment and foster student responsibility. Keep up the fantastic work!