Limit Signing up for Committees - You may have to be involved in some, but try to balance volunteering with protecting your time. If you are placed in a situation where you must be on a committee, devote your time cheerfully. Don't Procrastinate - Yes, it's human nature to put off the hard tasks, to do the fun ones first and wait until the last minute for the others. Do you really do your best work at the last minute? Do you really want to be planning your lessons at 11:30 at night? Prioritize -- Learn to recognize the important from the unimportant, the minor from the major and the fun from the serious. Don't put off the most important work, especially work that will help you later. Delegate where you can - It sounds like the last thing possible when you're the newest member of the team. But think about all the possibilities before you discard them. Are there assistants or secretaries? Can a student help with something? Can you trade tasks with another teacher? Could your husband, wife, or kids help you in any way? Maybe you can make an arrangement with another new teacher to help each other. Consider the possibilities for doing more of the work you're best at and eliminating time fillers and wasters. If you are delegating something that is very important, monitor and follow up on the progress. Don't give up responsibility. Ask for Help - If you're in over your head, ask for help. Maybe someone more experienced knows a shortcut or a better way to do the task at hand. You never know until you ask. Find your Comfort Zone - Do thinking and creative work when your brain is at its best. Do less creative work when your thinking skills are not as strong. Are you a night person? Plan your lessons then. Are you a morning person? Spend time early in the day working on issues and problems that will make your job easier. Keep Phone Calls Short - At the start of the call let the other person know that you have a limited amount of time to talk. You can always extend it as your conversation unfolds, if necessary. Schedule Start and End Times for Meetings - This may not work for those you aren't in charge of, but for others, let it be known in advance that the meeting has the following goals and it is scheduled for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, etc. Learn to Say 'No' - This is so difficult for new teachers because you don't really understand when or how to do it. Remember, it's always possible to say 'yes' after the fact, but very hard to say 'no' once you've agreed to do something. Prepare a standard line that you will use when approached. For instance, "I'd love to do that, but I don't know if I can fit it in and still do a good job on everything else. Can I think about it overnight?" This gives you time to really decide if you can do what is being asked of you and the opportunity to develop an explanation if you feel you can't do it. It will also allow you time to ask your chairperson or mentor for advice. Keep a 'To Do' List - Break every task into smaller pieces. It feels great when you can check something off the list and it also seems less daunting to see several small, doable tasks as opposed to one huge one. Smaller tasks can get you going, which is the key to completing anything. Make Plans for Everything You Do -- You can always change them if you need to, but they will encourage you to get started. Somehow things take on greater importance when they're written down and committed to paper. If your calendar says, "4:30 - go over mid-term papers," you're more likely to do it and not to fill that time with something else. If you do change the plan, write down the new plan again. Monitor Yourself -- You're going to make mistakes. Good! Experiences that help you to learn come most often from making mistakes, not from doing everything right. When you do it right the next time, it's because you learned from your previous experience. Embrace your mistakes and learn from them. Think about how you are progressing as a teacher. On this site, you can also find out more about managing your instructional time.