Is There Enough Time?
This is a good question, and it is often on the minds of teachers. We have so much to fit into one day, that it
often feels impossible to get to everything we need to do. However, if we really analyzed our use of
time we would find that we have more time than we previously thought.
I think we’re guilty of some of the things the author
pointed out. I believe we lose a lot of
time with transitions and unnecessary activities. For example, morning work tends to be busy
work and usually goes on much longer than it should. It is true that we need time to do attendance, lunch count, collect returned
notes and forms, and receipt money, but do we need 30 - 45 minutes to do
so? This is definitely one way that I
would recoup some time if I were teaching in a regular classroom because I
realize my students spent too much time on work that was of little or no value.
There are other activities that deserve a second glance. How long should we spend on calendar
activities and announcements? Is there
a more efficient way to line up or take bathroom breaks? By revising some of
our activities, we will be able to carve out time for things that are
important.
I agree that there are areas where we can tighten up our schedules. This the hard part for a lot of teachers. Why is that? Is it because they truly believe in the benefits of morning work and calendar time? Or is it because of something else? As Dr. Cantrell stated, "We need to look honestly in the mirror." This may be the most beneficial thing that we can do as professionals and then choose to do what will most benefit our students.
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