Teacher Friends!  How are you???  I am fresh off of a week of (mostly) virtual professional development and prep for this new school year.  My kiddos come back (virtually) on Tuesday and I’m still finishing up lesson plans and videos and Google Slides.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be wrapping up my Time Management for Teachers series.  You can find my previous posts on Back to School Must Dos and My Weekend Routine Part 1 and Part 2 by clicking the links.

Get Your Lunch Packed

If you read my weekend routine posts, you know that I am big on meal prep.  I try to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the week taken care of on my weekends.  However, that doesn’t always go 100% as planned.

As part of my evening routine, I make sure I have breakfast and lunch ready for the next day.  By ready, I mean, I have all the things I need and my lunch is packed to go as soon as I’m ready to head out the door.

If you have kids, you can have their lunches packed and in the fridge too!  Have a plan for everybody’s breakfast.  Make sure those items are in your home!

Eat Dinner

I mean a real dinner.  Not a candy bar.  Not a nutrition bar.  But an actual meal with vegetables and protein.  Something that takes more than 3 bites to eat and won’t give you a sugar high that you’ll come crashing down from 45 minutes later.

I like to meal prep on the weekends, because I hate…hate…HATE….coming home from work only to have to work more by making dinner.  There are about 2,003 other things I’d rather be doing at any given time than cooking a meal.  But since I can’t afford a personal chef and eating Taco Bell for every meal is not feasible for my health (or my budget), cook dinner I must.

Prepping on the weekends can really make the week go smoothly, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.  But I know firsthand that it’s often easier said than done.  Find some simple and nutritious recipes that you can throw together in less than half an hour and keep them in the regular rotation.  Even if you don’t prep, PLAN what you and your family will be eating for dinner for the week.  Because eating a real dinner with macros and vitamins and things is good for your body and good for your teacher brain and good for your mood!

Lay Out Your Clothes

Ideally, you’ve looked ahead at the weather for the week and washed and ironed what you’ll be wearing.  Double check that your outfit for the next day is ready to go.  Make sure there aren’t any stains or rips.

Same for the kiddos!  Ensure that they’re ready to head out the door in the morning wearing something other than the socks and sweat pants that were the only clean thing in the laundry basket.

Set Out Everything!

Okay, not every little thing.  But everything that needs to leave the house in the morning.  Laptop, purse, teacher bag, papers, kids’ backpacks, jackets, coats, and so on and so forth.  If lunches are in the refrigerator, leave yourself a post-it on top of your bag as a reminder.

I’ve found myself scrambling one too many mornings rushing to print out something I needed for school.  All I had to do was print it out the evening before and put it with my bags.  So simple!

Down Time

I’m a reader.  I unwind before going to sleep just about every single night by reading whatever book (or books) I’m currently working on.  I’ve also been known to mindlessly play games on my phone or tablet as a de-stresser.

Whatever your thing is – reading, playing a game, watching tv, taking a hot bubble bath – make time for it every night before bed.  Give yourself some love and grace and allow time for the things you enjoy.  It not only gives your life better balance, it makes you a better teacher, parent, partner, friend, daughter/son, sibling, human being, and all the roles you play in this world!

Go To Bed!

I really shouldn’t have to say it.  But I see you.  I know, because I do the same thing.  I stay up way past my bedtime.

Okay, so I really don’t know about you, but I have serious, SERIOUS FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).  Just like I blame my mom for my sentimentality hoarding, I blame my dad for this little personality quirk.  His whole life he would stay up late.  He didn’t want to miss out on anything, even though everyone else had gone to bed!  I’m the same way!

I say all that to say this:  I need my sleep.  YOU need your sleep.  Just like taking time to do the things we enjoy makes us better people, so does getting quality sleep.  Go to bed early and get up earlier.  I’ll talk about that more next week, but seriously – getting up earlier to get a start on your day will change your life!

No more staying up until midnight.  Get to bed by 10 and get some rest.  Your body and your mood will thank you for it!

Before you go, three things I want to share with you! 

1.  I have created a brand spankin’ new Facebook group just for Third Grade Teachers!  You can join HERE!
2. Also, I would love it ever so much if you would take a minute to sign up over to the right for my email newsletter!  This way you can stay informed about my latest content, blog posts, events, sales, and newest products AND receive a whole week of my Problem of the Day for 3rd Grade – both printable and digital, which is ideal for distance learning!
3. Finally, I am participating in a hashtag sale on Sunday, September 6, 2020-Monday, September 7, 2020.  Head to Teachers Pay Teachers and enter #herodeals or click HERE to find bunches of $1 only sale items from dozens of teacher-authors!

Have a wonderful Sunday and an amazing week!