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My mind was spinning at the tail-end of my coffee kick. I thought coffee was supposed to help me stay focused and energized. Totally misleading. My first week as an assistant principal was a complete whirlwind. Every day I would come home and feel utterly exhausted in ways I didn’t as a teacher.
As a teacher, everything fit in nice neat boxes. I created my plan and stuck to it minus a random digression here and there. But even then, I was able to steer the kids right back to my track.
The challenge with being an administrator is it isn’t your track. It is your students’ track. It is your staff's track. It is the parents’ track. It is the district office administration’s track. You are pulled in so many different directions.
What you thought you had planned can be thrown out the window. All it takes is for one angry parent to come in demanding to meet with you. One upset teacher whose class has been challenging. One single student who is now facing a complete mental health crisis.
By the end of this post, you’ll be fully equipped to start planning and getting your work life in order so you can arrive every day to school feeling energized and organized!
However, even though there are days and moments that you literally feel like that Stretch Armstrong man they used to sell in the eighties, being an educator is extremely rewarding. So amazingly awesome. Like when you see a kid cross the graduation stage and know you had a part in their getting there. Or when a little kiddo runs up and gives you a big hug because they are happy to see you on a Monday morning. These moments make the challenges bearable.
But that still doesn’t mean you have to live in chaos and confusion.
This week’s post will provide you with some tips to stay organized so you can maximize your time and counteract all the craziness that can ensue on any given school day. Even though I approach this post through the lens of an administrator, the methods can be applied across positions.
By the end of this post, you’ll be fully equipped to start planning and getting your work life in order so you can arrive every day to school feeling energized and organized!
Why Investing in Organization is a Must
For some, maybe organization gives you the heebie jeebies. Maybe you like the chaos on your desk and claim that there is a system. I’ve heard this from some people who may just be embarrassed about how unorganized they are. Well, no judgment here. If you like that and it works, then you do you. More power to you.
But…. there is research to support huge benefits if you come to the dark side (Luke, I am your father) of organization. For example, if you are unorganized you may feel unmotivated. We need our energizer bunnies at work and not our Eeyores. So if you stay organized you can be more productive.
If you stay committed to organization, and I’m talking ‘till death do us part committed, you could have better relationships and be happier.
If you decide to get on the organization train, then you could wind up having better sleep. As a mother of three who is working a full-time job and trying to be a blogger, I don’t know about you, but I need my sleep! And apparently, being more organized can allow you to have more you-time. Who doesn’t love a little self-TLC?
The benefits don’t stop there. Getting your space in order can help your mindset and help you tackle anything. There was a 2010 study that found if you are in an unorganized space, it can wreak havoc on the stress hormone, cortisol (Saxbe & Repetti, 2010). No one wants high cortisol which can lead to health risks like weight gain, irritability, acne, and high blood pressure to name a few. Being in a messy or cluttered space can even increase depression and/or anxiety.
If you decide to be organized you might even find yourself making better decisions because you will have clarity of mind and focus. You may even get the creative juices flowing. That scatter-brained feeling I had when I first started as an assistant principal was the exact opposite of this!
If you stay committed to organization, and I’m talking ‘till death do us part committed, you could have better relationships and be happier. If you are organized, you may be more reliable and fully present with others; you may also be able to handle or approach conflicts with a clearer more empathetic mind.
Finally, if you are an organization superstar, you could be setting yourself up to be even more successful. When you set goals, you’ll be able to develop and stick to a plan to achieve those goals. And you’ll be able to eliminate the rift raft nonsense that will detract you from your goals. With this goal-oriented mindset, dead set on achievement, you might even have more opportunities come your way.
So it seems pretty clear why we should get organized. There are countless benefits to us outside of just getting our jobs done. If you just take a bit of time and put some systems in place, you could be so much happier and successful.
5 Methods to Improve Your Organizational Skills
Have you ever been in someone’s office (or maybe even your own) and wondered how in the world they can find anything? It might look like the Staples monster vomited all over their desk. Well, I have five easy methods any teacher or administrator can implement to become a little more organized:
1. Calendars are your best friend
Whether you use Google Calendar, your phone calendar, Outlook, or one of those old-school desk calendars, your calendar should be your best friend. Over the years I’ve tried different systems, but for whatever reason, I personally like Outlook.
Say what you will about Microsoft, but Outlook is a one-stop shop for organization. You can easily flag emails to remind yourself to respond to them and so much more. The “to-do” feature allows you to track what you need to accomplish as well.
If you don’t want to go tech, then there is nothing wrong with paper and pencil. I get it. There is something about the feel of paper that a screen just can’t satisfy. Whichever calendar you use, having everything in one central location is extremely helpful. I do not know how I would function without Outlook.
Regardless of the platform, you and your calendar should be tight!
2. Time is your frenemy
We can never have enough time. So prioritization is essential when countless tasks are being thrown at you. To prioritize, focus on the task that is due first or is most pressing. Something else you can do is use that handy-dandy calendar and plan backward. If you have a project due May 30th, break it down into manageable chunks over a week or two. Give yourself some wiggle room, too, just in case something else is thrown at you.
Another awesome time method is the Pomodoro technique. No, this is not a pizza or sauce. And I’m not sure if this was invented by Italians. It is a way to help you stay focused while also giving yourself some breaks. The basic premise is:
Select a task or tasks to work on.
Using a timer, work on the task for 25 minutes.
When 25 minutes is up, mark off one Pomodoro.
Take a 5-minute break.
When 5 minutes is up, get back to work for another 25 minutes.
After 4 Pomodoros, take a 15-30 minute break.
This simple yet effective time management strategy can help anyone stay focused! It will also help you maintain any goals you have and make things much more manageable.
3. Use old-school stickies
Stickies can help you keep track of things, too. Grab a sticky, jot down a reminder, and place it on your desk or laptop. One problem with this approach is that sticky can go missing. 😳 Keep your stickies in a central location so they don’t go walking.
You may also find yourself having a ton of random stickies everywhere without a clear timeline in place. So be mindful of overdosing on stickies.
Be an organization superstar. Manage everything that comes your way so you can shine bright and stay true to your priorities.
4. Build a timeline
During the first year of a job, write down everything you experience as you experience it (ie. prepping for conferences in November, planning for a holiday party, etc.). Within education, events and activities generally repeat themselves, so tracking when to do what can be extremely helpful for the following year and beyond.
If you create a timeline for your first year, then your second year will be soooo much easier. As the years go on, simply add to your timeline or remove items so that you don’t forget what to do when the following year.
5. Get your space in order
You don’t have to go all feng shui to achieve harmony and balance. However, creating physical systems within your workspace can help you ease your mind and stay focused. Keep your desk clear and have bins and baskets to manage papers, folders, and all that jazz. If this isn’t your forte, find someone who loves organizing. There is nothing wrong with asking for help.
I also recommend going to the local Ikea which is an organizer's dream. Ikea has tons of bins and baskets to make your classroom or office more organized. At the very least, when you visit Ikea, you’ll have the chance to get some of those famous Swedish meatballs. 🤤
One Last Thought
Maybe because we are in the thick of the school year, this past week felt extremely overwhelming. Meetings and crises occurred while other tasks and obligations were layered on to everything else I already had to do. My mind and body started feeling rattled. What helped me stay focused and feel less overwhelmed was staying organized.
I referred to Outlook to maintain focus - my calendar, the to-do lists, and the flagged emails. All of this helped me get through the week and enter the weekend feeling zen. This organizational schema is pivotal to my well-being. This system allows me to do better for my district, students, teachers, and most importantly, my family.
I hope that at least one of these strategies will resonate with you. As the school year goes on and the items pile up, having an organization system you can rely on and implement will ease your mind and keep you energized.
Be an organization superstar. Manage everything that comes your way so you can shine bright and stay true to your priorities.
References
(n.a). (2023, June 7). 8 Benefits of being organized in work and life (+ helpful tips). Motion. https://www.usemotion.com/blog/benefits-of-being-organized
(n.a.) (2016, August 30). Health benefits of being organized. Beaumont. https://beaumont.org/health-wellness/blogs/health-benefits-of-being-organized
Abrams, Z. (2023, June 1). The science of why friendships keep us healthy. American Psychology Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/cover-story-science-friendship
Herbert, J. (2019, January 3). Surprising benefits of being organized. Select Health. https://selecthealth.org/blog/2021/01/5-surprising-benefits-of-being-organized
Santos-Longhurst, A. (2024, January 25). What are the symptoms and causes of high cortisol levels? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/high-cortisol-symptoms
Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. (2010). No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate With Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71-81.
Scroggs, L. (n.d.). The Pomodoro technique — why it works & how to do it. Todoist. https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique
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