An essential guide for today's over-scheduled teachers
Teaching is a tough job, period. With so much pressure and so many competing demands, it can be easy to fall apart, or to get lost in the daily grind. The Together Teacher: Plan Ahead, Get Organized, and Save Time! is a practical resource that shows teachers how to get it together, to be effective and have a life! Author and educator Maia Heyck-Merlin reveals the life-hacks and habits of Together Teachers, from smart time management hacks to sanity-saving tech. The end goal is always strong outcomes for their students.
In this book, you'll discover the concrete steps you can take to achieve greater stability and success in your classroom and in your life. This edition adds sections on efficient lesson planning, grading, and data analysis processes, balance and self-care, juggling teaching with other responsibilities like leading a grade level, managing family communications, and new online resources. The workbook contains all-new rubrics, practice sections, and reflection questions to help you dig in to the content and get your days running like clockwork.
- Learn pro tips and tools to help you organize and optimize your lesson planning, instruction, and classroom environment
- Save time and energy by using tech wisely, enlisting students in keeping the classroom tidy, communicating efficiently with families, and more
- Get engaged - with 75 pages of all-new workbook content, exclusive online extras, and real-world "Day-in-the-Life" teacher profiles, you'll be ready to tackle any challenge
- Learn efficient grading and data analysis processes
- Understand how to balance teaching with other school responsibilities, such as leading a grade level
- Discover the hacks and habits that good teachers are using to improve instructional quality and have a life outside of school!
Perfect for early-career K-12 teachers as well as specialists (social workers, music teachers, etc.), The Together Teacher, Second Edition includes access to exclusive online extras, including videos and much more.
Table of Contents
Foreword xiii
Introduction 1
Part One: Together Your Time 11
Chapter 1: Create an Ideal Week - And Build in That Self-Care! 13
Components of a Great Together Teacher System
Design Your Ideal Week
Build Your Own Ideal Week
Let’s Toss in Some Self-Care and Stress Management
Self-Care and Stress Management Plan Examples
Let’s Get Started
Chapter 2: A Week’s Worth of Readiness: Create a Weekly Worksheet 31
Setting the Scene
A Closer Look: What Is a Weekly Worksheet?
Weekly Worksheet Examples
Select Your Weekly Worksheet Tool
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Together Tour: Cassidy Cruz 57
Chapter 3: No More Missed Deadlines: Make a Comprehensive Calendar 59
Setting the Scene
The Multiple-Calendar Dilemma
The Comprehensive Calendar: What Is It?
Together Teachers’ Comprehensive Calendars
Pick Your Tool: Where Will You Keep Your Comprehensive Calendar?
Build Your Own Comprehensive Calendar
Keep Your Comprehensive Calendar Moving
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Chapter 4: Corral the Long-Term To-Dos: Create Your Later List 85
Setting the Scene
The Later List: What Is It?
Together Teacher Later List Examples
Assemble the To-Dos: Build Your Later List
Select Your Later List Tool
Keep That Later List Fed and Happy
Carry Your Later List
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Together Tour: Laura Burrow 105
Chapter 5: Never Forget! Get on the Thought Catchers 107
Setting the Scene
What Is a Thought Catcher Exactly?
Together Teacher Thought Catcher Examples
Brainstorm Your Own Thought Catchers
Pick Your Thought Catcher Tool
Review Your Thought Catchers Regularly
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Chapter 6: Create Routines to Support Togetherness: Meet with Yourself 123
Setting the Scene
Build Your Meeting with Myself Checklist
Together Teacher Meeting with Myself Example Checklists
Logistics of Meeting with Yourself: Your When, Where, and What To Bring
When, Where, and What To Bring to Your Meeting with Myself
Daily Routines: Making the Most of Opening and Closing the Day
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Part Two: Together Your Space, Stuff, and Students 143
Chapter 7: Tidy and Together Up Your Teacher Workspace 145
Setting the Scene
Together Up That Workspace
Together Transport:
Moving Materials Between Spaces
Contain the Instructional Chaos Mean, Materials
Finding What You Need When You Need It
Carry It With You
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Together Tour: Angela Mu 171
Chapter 8: The Inbox, the Texts, the Messages: Tame the Communications Chaos 173
Setting the Scene
Set Up for Success
Establish Communications Routines or Stop Checking Constantly!
Create Schoolwide Communication Agreements
Write To Be Heard, or Stop Sending Open-Ended Emails!
Email: Use It, Don’t Abuse It!
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Chapter 9: Papers, Supplies, and Assignments: Support Student Togetherness 203
Setting the Scene
Displaying Class Schedules and Syllabi
Together Student Tools Created by Schools
Together Student Tools Created by Students and Families
Support Student Space Set-Up
Teaching Students Togetherness
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Part Three: Together Your Teaching 235
Chapter 10: Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More: Make Lesson Planning Efficient! 237
Setting the Scene
Together Teachers’ Long-Term Planning Examples
What Is the Actual Work of Lesson Planning?
Materials Needed for Lesson Planning
Determine Day and Time To Plan
Where Should I Lesson Plan?
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Together Tour: Eric Nielsen 261
Chapter 11: Grading, Assessing, and More! 263
Setting the Scene
Determine What You Are Grading and Why
Determine How You Collect Student Work
Getting Efficient with the Actual Grading
Keeping Up with Student Progress
When and Where Are You Grading?
When and How Am I Sharing the Data with Students and Families?
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Part Four: Together Your Team 287
Chapter 12: Join ’Em and Lead ’Em: Make the Most of Meetings 289
Setting the Scene
Create the Meeting Agenda
Staying Together During the Meeting
Note-Taking During Meetings
Store and Retrieve Your Meeting
Notes
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Together Tour: Veronica Urbanik 319
Chapter 13: Events, Projects, and Parties: Project Plan Your Way to Success! 321
Setting the Scene
Determine a Successful Outcome
Build Out Your Buckets
Create a Project Plan
Bring on the Team
Work the Plan
The Big Day - Or Night?
Celebration and Closeout
Turbo Togetherness
Maintenance Moves
Conclusion: Why the World Needs Together Teachers 337
Acknowledgments 347
About the Authors 349
Index 351
