Is it really possible to work less and get better outcomes? I think it is, if you do these five things.
1. Optimise your planning
Being over prepared means that your teaching can become rigid, leaving little room for negotiating away from the plan. There’s nothing worse than spending hours and hours planning lessons and not using half of the material you have prepped. It ruins the sequence of learning and it is ineffective practice. Being truly prepared means teaching responsively. Planning content is a must, but don’t over plan. Instead, leave plenty of time to address student misconceptions as they arise.
2. Use live marking
One of the biggest drains on teacher time is marking. But think about when feedback is most effective… instantly! Live marking books (either one to one with pupils or whole-class feedback using a visualiser) in class is a great way to respond to student needs as well as saving your time outside the lesson.
3. Making the most of every second
Making sure you use every minute of lesson time effectively is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that your students succeed. Think about the “dead” time you have across a week and then multiply it by the months of the school year and it gives a worrying picture of how much time is wasted in lessons. Get pupils working while worksheets are given out, have a quiz ready on the IWB as pupils come into class…and when they are doing silent work, you can be marking as in point two.
4. Working together
Professionally collaborating on planning and policies is a great way to reduce workload for all. I’ve worked in schools where you plan all of your own lessons and I’ve worked in schools where lessons are provided for you as part of a collaborative process. If properly overseen, the latter can be an amazing way of reducing workload and pressure on teachers in your department. Yes, each teacher needs to differentiate for their particular context, but the creation of the bulk of the content can be a real motivator for staff and their time can be used more effectively elsewhere.
5. Cutting the red tape
I always tell my trainees to ask themselves if a job is necessary before they do it. Will it have a tangible impact on teaching or learning? It’s a great way to cut out pointless jobs. Schools are riddled with procrastination at times and often people inadvertently get caught up in doing futile jobs like rearranging folders and such like. If you’re a middle leader, think about the jobs you’re giving your team. If you’re SLT, think about whether your policies are easy to work with, or if they themselves are adding extra pressure on staff.
Adam Riches is a specialist leader of education and lead teacher in English