Trying to keep up with your teacher to do list is never easy. There are a million things to get done in a day and as soon as you sit down with a moment to actually tackle the list, you’re stumped on what you should do. Having a to do list can certainly help with your teacher time management, but that’s another thing to learn and become really skilled at. I don’t have tips for you there. I’m a pretty big procrastinator and really need to be told what to do. But at the same time, I don’t like being told what to do. The task management system I use it called ToDoIst and it’s really a system of my past self telling my current self what to do, which is a perfect compromise for me.
Why I gave up the paper to do list
I’m a big paper and pen person. (Inkjoy gels all the way!) I still use a paper planner for most of my calendar pacing and general organization. I even like a paper list at the grocery store (and cross off items with a pen as I put them in my cart). However, I’m also a super forgetful person. I leave my to do list (and grocery list) behind ALL THE TIME. And when I don’t have the list it’s hard to remember what was on it and what needs to be done.
Next, I tried Google Keep. And I found I really like, but it’s not really date oriented. It’s my favorite for that pesky grocery list, but for teaching stuff, it’s tough. I like to put things on the calendar for the future so I don’t forget about them. Things like the parent teacher conferences and staff meetings. I needed to switch to something that would get me the two things I needed. A basic to do list and some semblance of being attached to a date.
To Do Ist for Teachers
This is the teacher time management I’ve always wanted and needed. I used this program for a while in college, trying to balance my two degrees, my job and my social life. This was everything that I needed then, but somehow I fell off the habit. Now that I’ve been using it again for around 6 months, and now I’m a happy camper.
There are a few things that I like about To Do Ist:
- It functions much like a regular to do list on paper. You can prioritize items. There is a point system that helps you to see what you’ve accomplished (a lot like crossing things off the list and seeing the progress).
- The point system tracks your progress, helps you to set and achieve goals and can be put on pause for vacations or weekends.
- You can easily compartmentalize your life using projects. Mine are school, personal, and All Star Planning related tasks.
- You can add subtasks to bigger tasks, just like you (or I) would do on a paper to do list.
- My favorite part is that you can add recurring tasks. Just tell ToDoIst that it’s a recurring task and it will automatically appear on your to do list in the intervals you set.
- every day: make a parent contact
- every thursday: make copies and schedule digital activities
- (My fave) every 15th: pay day
Get your list of common teacher to dos here, which is perfect for ToDoIst. Plus it has my perfect All Star Planning formula for staying ahead of my lesson plans embedded in the list. Get your copy here!
