Surviving and thriving – how to make the best use of your time
Written By: Author(s): Marie Hamer
6 min read
Fitting everything in is tough, and that goes for everyone, whether you’re new to a job or you've been in it for years. But what if we thought harder about our time management and took a deliberate approach to the waking day, not just the working day? What would the impact be on our practice and on ourselves?
Get to grips with the fundamentals of the science of learning
Really understanding how learning happens can help you to have the impact you want in the classroom. Being clear about how memory works, and how people actually learn, makes it much easier to plan worthwhile activities – but the science of learning and memory is not routinely part of initial teacher training or CPD.
For example, in the early stages of a teaching career, it’s all too easy to get bogged down in building practical resources, or to plough hours of hard work into lesson planning, but if you’re not building in strategies for learning retention alongside that, much of your effort can be wasted. The
Join us or sign in now to view the rest of this page
You're viewing this site as a guest, which only allows you to view a limited amount of content.
To view this page and get access to all our resources, join the Chartered College of Teaching (it's free for trainee teachers and half price for ECTs) or log in if you're already a member.
Thanks for explaining the technical way of surviving and thriving as a teacher; it is essential.
Yes– how to make the best use of time is the vital resource of a science teacher” is that teachers can optimise their time management and well-being by making small but deliberate changes in three key areas:
1. Understanding the science of learning: By grasping the fundamentals of learning and memory, such as the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, teachers can plan more impactful learning activities and avoid wasting time on less effective strategies. Focusing on evidence-based practices allows teachers to work smarter, not harder.
2. Setting manageable weekly development targets: Rather than getting overwhelmed trying to improve their practice all at once, teachers should set small, specific, achievable goals each week, such as refining a particular instructional technique. Over time, these incremental changes lead to significant growth.
3. Building in time for daily recovery: To prevent burnout, teachers must prioritise restorative activities like exercise, time outdoors, relaxation, and social connection as part of their routine. This helps replenish the cognitive, emotional and physical resources depleted by the demands of teaching.
By making these research-based adjustments to their approach to work and self-care, the authors argue teachers can enhance their effectiveness, sense of purpose, and ability to thrive in a challenging but rewarding profession.