Unshakeable Book Study Chapter 2

Chapter 1 Read Here

Chapter 2 of UNSHAKEABLE by Angela Watson

Allocate your time and energy wisely through productive routines.

Here's a little cheat sheet of what this chapter is all about. I am reflecting today. What do I do in my classroom? What do I need to try next year?

1. I can't tell you how many times I go to work and leave thinking "I have so much to do" but, I know I have to go home and cook dinner, take my kids to after school activities, etc... Some days are better than others. I try my best to stay productive or multi-task because I can't always stay late.

2. Go to school each day with the mindset that you're there to work.

I am always making mental and literal lists of my things to do. Staying focused on the goal will get the work done.

3. Early morning, can be most productive. I am going to be honest. It's hard for me to get to school early all the time. I get there early when I have a faculty meeting or team leader meeting. But usually, I only get to school about 15- minutes before actual teacher report time. My kids come to school with me, which means I'm waiting on them or nagging on them to get ready :-} Fortunately, they will help me with putting my lunch in the fridge or passing out morning work. My daughter has even checked student homework for me if I am out of the room (mini-teacher in the making)

4. Don't do things in the morning that will put you in a bad mood.

I can't tell you how many times this has happened this past year. Usually it was an UN-foreseen parent phone call that would get me going. Listen, I am a very even-keel person, most things don't bother me. This year was an smorgasbord of parent issues. Basically, know your triggers-if it gets your blood boiling do it at the end of the day, so when you leave school after, you can let it go.

In addition, don't do anything in the morning that is absolutely essential to the rest of your day. Don't wait to the last minute. Sometimes this is inevitable, but do your best to plan ahead of time.

5/6. My morning work is on a poster I named "Wake-up Work" (i just spent 20 minutes looking for a picture of it--aghh! I can't find it.) But basically it's a simple list of 5 things I want my class to do every morning. 1. Unpack back pack

2. Hand in Homework Folder

3. Get or trade-in a pencil for the day

4. Shop for new books (book bin)

5. Wake-up-Work, Read-to-Self, or Journal

7. Never depend on your planning break. Some days are better than others. You never know when a problem will need to be solved!

8. De-Stress--I put on I heart radio and listen to music that keeps me calm. Usually it's something instrumental.

9. True story, don't take care of personal business at school. I think I need to let my family members in on this. Recently, my mom was group texting my cousin, sister and I about a problem with my brother. Needless to say my phone was beeping like crazy. I read the texts and got very upset and had to leave school. It turned out to be nothing, but it totally interfered with my day and it was something I could of been told after work.

10. I happen to have a great team and enjoy eating with them in the faculty lunch room. Choose what works best for you.

11. Other options for your lunch time: Eat with 1 colleague, eat with your students or eat alone. Know yourself and what will leave you with the most energy at the end of your lunch time.

12. Mindless tasks and stay in motion. For me this is cleaning desks. I don't know why, but kids desks get so dirty--UGH. I keep baby wipes for the kids to use, after they leave I use my dis-infecting wipes to get rid of any germs. 

13. Check your school email last so you don't get sucked in. I do find myself getting sucked in quite often. This is something I will need to try come August.

14. Take it home or stay late?  Hmm... It depends on the day. There have been many days where I take home a whole stack of work and it just stays in the bag. I find it easier to tackle it at work. I allot a certain amount of time before my kids go crazy and want to go home. (I mean my own personal children here, after the bell rings and everyone else leaves, my kids need to stay with me) I usually let them know, "ok, Mom's gonna finish one more set of papers and then we will go home."

15. The 40 hour workweek- We will learn more about this in the next couple of chapters.

So what do you think? Are these things you can do? 

What sounds the most difficult? the easiest?

Click Here to download our Unshakeable Bookmark so you can follow along.

Next time Cassie at Adventures in Teaching will be sharing: Unshakeable Chapter 3: Establish healthy habits for bringing work home and decompressing