Teacher Morning Routine: 3 Daily Habits to Reduce Stress and Stay Organized
Have you ever walked into your classroom and felt a wave of anxiety come over you?
I have…daily.
As a teacher, I have so many balls in the air at once; it is tough to keep juggling all the time, and when I enter my classroom, I can feel really overwhelmed and unsure which ball to keep my eye on first.
Now, usually when I am feeling overwhelmed, I stick to my mantra: What do I need to do today, to be successful tomorrow? But there is something about that before-school and after-school time period where there is too much to do, and I am unsure where to start, that the mantra just won’t cut it. After many failed attempts at different systems and strategies, I think I have created a real-world solution to combat this feeling of complete stress the second I step foot into my classroom before or after school: ROUTINE.
Yes, you heard me, a teacher daily routine. I found that if I did the same teacher morning routine (just three things) when I entered my classroom, and then the same three things every afternoon, helped to decrease my stress levels, keep me focused, and bes of all boost my productivity. A teacher daily routine can really up the ante for teacher productivity.
Why Does Routine Help?
When you establish a morning and afternoon routine, you take the guesswork out of what you need to do when you step into your classroom. You don’t have to worry about your juggling act; you just need to worry about those three things you do every morning and afternoon. Now, of course you will need to get back to juggling at some point, but you will be calm, calibrated, and ready to focus when it is time.
Think of it this way: you have seen the power of routine when it comes to your students’ behavior and effort, right? Well, we are the same. Daily routines offer familiarity, which in turn helps to calm the nervous system. Your students thrive on routine, and you can too, but you must find a balance, keep it simple, and make the routine a habit. Don’t overcomplicate it; remember, realistic changes empower the real-world teacher!
Why 3?
Now, the next question is often: Why do I need three things in my routine? Well, it is the magic number, of course! But all kidding aside, it is the perfect number of tasks to make a routine attainable and manageable. One or two tasks are not enough to be considered a routine, and more than three things can put you back into that state of anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. But three feels familiar; it feels doable, and above all, it makes you feel accomplished. When you feel accomplished, you can focus on all the other balls in the air. So start thinking of three attainable tasks that need to be done every morning and afternoon, and let’s start a routine.
How Do You Pick the Task?
Now that you know you need three tasks to make your routine a reality, it is time to choose those tasks wisely. You want to choose items that need to get done within that morning or afternoon time frame, and you also want to choose tasks that will benefit you for the rest of the day, or for the next day. When picking your magic three, you need to remember to keep it simple; don’t choose complicated or lengthy tasks. The routine is designed to focus your mind and keep you from spiraling. Do NOT choose tasks that you often avoid, procrastinate, or despise doing; this will definitely not foster a healthy daily routine, and you should likely give those tasks up (check out this blog post for task help).
Here are some examples of before-school routine tasks:
- Reading through lesson plans for the day.
- Check that all materials needed for the day are accounted for.
- Post the daily lesson objective.
- Check email (triage your emails!).
- Grade (set a timer).
- Check voicemail.
- Write a “To-Do” list (keep it realistic).
After school routine tasks can include:
- Check email (triage your emails!).
- Parent phone calls (don’t forget to document).
- Grade (set a timer).
- Tidy up your desk.
- Clean whiteboard.
I don’t suggest adding any tasks to your morning or afternoon routine that are outside of your classroom. Complete the three tasks in your classroom, get set, and then if you need to venture to the front office or copy room, do this after your routine is completed.
My Morning Routine
I typically get to school about 45 minutes before students arrive. This gives ample time to get through my routine, attend any before-school meetings, and knock additional items off of my daily to-do list.
The three items I do every morning when I enter my classroom are:
- Power up my laptop and read through lesson plans for the day.
- By reading through the lesson plans, I am reminded of what to expect for the day.
- The wheels begin to turn, and I am thinking about what supplies, manipulatives, and tools I need for the day.
- Write the daily lesson objective on the board and get out the supplies needed.
- Since I was just reading through my plans, writing my objective is easy, and it is at the front of my mind.
- Thinking of my lesson and the flow of the day makes it easy to double-check that all supplies are out and ready for the day.
- Triage Emails
- Laptop is booted and ready to sift through emails.
- Answer time-sensitive emails now; save the rest for later in the morning or during prep period.
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I know what you are thinking…this is more than three tasks! I did stack a couple of the tasks, but turning on a laptop just didn’t seem to count as a routine task, so I did pair it with something. Now, if you are really struggling when you get into class, you can absolutely make the tasks smaller; this is what works for me, but you have got to do what realistically works for you!
I have duty every day after school; as soon as that is done, I go straight back to my classroom–no stops along the way!
Here is what I do every afternoon:
- Straighten up my desk (5 minutes max!).
- I find that I can think more clearly if my desk is not a disaster.
- I likely haven’t sat at my desk all day, so it feels good to get things put away and organized so that I can sit down and work.
- Emails/Parent Communication
- If I need to call a parent, I get it out of the way ASAP.
- I answer any other correspondence that I have not yet responded to.
- I file everything away (check out my email organizational system).
- Lesson Plans
- I read through my plans for tomorrow, checking to make sure that I have everything I need.
- Pre-write notes in my master Interactive Student Notebook
- If it is Thursday, I am working on lesson plans for next week too.
Once my routine is complete, I can tackle other items on my to-do list. However, I do keep track of my time because I am leaving my classroom at a reasonable hour! I know this can be tough, but teachers can have a work-life balance.
Keep With Your Routine!
Consistency is key when you are establishing your routine. It won’t technically become “routine” until you’ve done it for a couple of weeks. If it helps, write your routine down on a sticky note; list out the three items for the morning and afternoon and keep this note somewhere visible. Do your routine every day, without fail, and you will be calmer, better prepared, and clear-headed.
What About Other Meetings?
Mornings and afterschool are the times that we also have parent meetings, staff meetings, IEP meetings–oh my! But if you keep your routine simple, it should really only take about 10-15 minutes max. That should not affect your morning too much, and typically after school meetings don’t start immediately after school, so you should be able to make it work. However, if you must skip your routine once, it will be okay; just pick it back up the next day. If you have a standing meeting, work with a specific group/club, or team meeting, see if the meeting can be pushed back 10-15 minutes. It is okay to ask for adjustments to the schedule; remember your time and priorities matter too! Honestly, you will be more focused at whatever meeting you attend if you are able to get your routine done and out of the way.
It is so amazing to me how something as simple as identifying the three things I did when I entered my classroom every morning and every afternoon changed my mindset. Creating this routine truly does help me to refocus and has prevented me from spiraling so many times. Remember, keep it simple and make sure the tasks are small enough to complete in 10-15 minutes. Consistency is key, and realistic changes empower the real-world teacher!
