Reading · Kelly Nolan · RSS Amplifier

Each Thursday, the “How I Structure My Day” series features women from different industries, with and without kids, with and without partners, with family living with/near them and not, wfh to 1+ hour commutes, etc. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I do!

Know that if you’re ready to learn a time management system designed for professional working women, the 10-week Bright Method program is open and ready to get you results! Learn all about it here – and send any questions my way! Happy to talk out whether I think it would work for you, your main concerns, timing, etc. Send me a message, and I hope to see you in there!

Profession: Elementary School Teacher
In the “office”
Partner: Yes - WFH 100% since 2020. Works 50-60+ hours a week.
Children: Yes – 2 kids (17yo & 14yo)
California
40s

I set an alarm for between 5:30 and 5:45, but press snooze more times than I care to admit. Once up, I immediately get in the shower and get ready for the day.
Once I'm ready, I go to the kitchen, pull my lunch out of the fridge and eat a quick breakfast (pretty much the same thing every day).
I head to work between 7 and 7:30 (depending on how many times I press snooze and if I get distracted by something).
My kids are teens, so they handle getting up and getting breakfast on their own. My son drives himself to school, and my husband drives the middle schooler.

I do as much the night before as possible. My husband handles all things food (meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking), and he also makes my lunch every day (I eat the same thing most days). I grab snacks the night before,
pack my backpack with my iPad, graded papers (or the things that I had good intentions of doing at home but didn't), etc. I put my travel coffee mug, water bottles, and non-perishable breakfast items in a bin in my pantry (so that the cat stays out of it) so I can just pull out one thing in the morning.
I set out clothes the night before. If I'm going to the gym the next afternoon/evening, I set those clothes out, too.
My husband and I also confirm who's going where with the kids the next day. We try to tentatively plan that on Sunday evenings, but there are often last-minute changes/additions.

I have about a seven-minute drive to school, but I'm part of a wonderful professional group that uses Voxer to communicate daily, so I often listen to the messages on my way to work. Our focus is on social-emotional learning, so it helps me set goals and intentions for the day with my students. It's also very positive and uplifting, so it's a great way to begin my day.

I arrive at work between 7:30 and 7:45.
Twice a week, I have before-school supervision that starts at 8:15, otherwise I pick my class up on the playground at 8:27. I set alarms when I need to use the restroom before I head out to pick up the kids.
When students are in my room, I’m teaching. Sometimes I can complete a quick or mindless task, but there are a lot of needs in classrooms today.
I love what Kelly teaches about using your calendar to schedule your tasks. My calendar is used for before or after school meetings or school-wide events and activities, but because so much of my prepping and planning happens in small chunks throughout the week, I use Google Keep to manage all of my to-do lists.
- I have a list for each day in which I breakdown the recurring tasks for the week, as far as weekly lesson planning, unit planning, prepping materials, grading, etc. I teach all subjects and have to prep for all each week.
- I also put AM next to tasks I try to do before school starts, MID for tasks I might be able to complete quickly during the school day, PREP for items that I plan to complete during my prep time (50 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday only), and PM for tasks that I plan to do after school.
- Because things come up all the time, I can't always follow it exactly, but it helps ensure I get everything done I need to get done and helps me see which tasks are priorities when the to-dos feel overwhelming.
- I also have an END OF DAY list in Google Keep of the items that I must complete before I leave to be ready for the following day.
- In addition, I keep a POWER LIST, which is typically 3-5 things (sometimes more) I need to complete that week that are not recurring tasks.
My students leave at 1:45 one day a week, and then we meet as a grade level until 3. Staff meetings or lead team meetings (I'm my grade level's lead) are after that for another hour 3 weeks a month. I have meetings twice a month for other school/district committees, and one meeting a week for my professional community.
In addition, I can have 504, IEP, or SST meetings. This is usually anywhere between 5 and 10+ formal meetings a school year.
There are many planning/collaboration/problem-solving sessions with other staff that are anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour+ that happen all the time throughout the year.
I try to glance at email throughout the day in case something urgent pops up, but I rarely sit down to read, calendar, or respond until recess, lunch, or after school. I usually spend time in the evening or on weekends processing email.
One of my Thursday tasks involves writing a weekly email to families to update them on school events, activities, reminders, and a quick overview of what we’re doing in class. I schedule this to go out after school on Fridays.
The majority of my grading, planning, sub plans if I am out of the classroom, as well as entering grades, and preparing report cards happens after school, in the evening, or on weekends.
One thing about teaching is that the to-do list never ends. There is always more to do or more I feel like I should do. I'm less of a perfectionist than I was before having kids, but I still strive to give my students a high-quality education.

My class has recess mid-morning, which is my chance for a snack and using the restroom, along with prepping for the part of the day.
Lunch is at a scheduled time. I often eat lunch with my coworkers for some adult interaction, but will also work while I eat once or twice e a week.

My breaks (from students) are scheduled for me. They aren't always work-free, though.

It varies by the day and time of year. I have six one-hour meetings after school, minimum, a month. These don't include our PLC meetings that are an hour weekly when students are released early.
I leave between 3:30 and 4 if I have somewhere to be (an appointment, a kids' game, taking my elderly dad to a doctor appointment), and between 4:30 and 5:30 (occasionally later) when I have the availability and need to catch up.

I make sure my END OF DAY to-dos are done so that if I had to, I could walk in the next day at the last minute and be ready to go.
I listen to Voxer, or if I have something to share with the group, I'll record a message as I drive. I have a short drive, so it's a quick turnaround to the next thing.

Fall and spring are especially busy. My 17-year-old plays club soccer year-round, as well as high school soccer and baseball (games are 2-3 days a week in the afternoon or evening, depending on sport). He drives now, which has been so helpful and saved us so much time.
My 14-year-old plays club soccer year-round and rec softball in the spring.
After work hours involve soccer/softball carpool for my daughter, going to high school games, other school activities for my kids, working out at least 2 weekdays a week, taking walks when I can, and getting household tasks done.
My elderly father has a lot of health needs, so sometimes there are doctor appts or errands for him. I try not to, but I do bring work home sometimes.
My husband handles all cooking, and I do the dishes and clean the kitchen right after dinner.
I also get my snacks and breakfast tub ready for the next day.
My daughter isn't usually in bed until 9:30, and my son 10. It's challenging parenting until 9:30/10, especially after teaching all day. I really enjoyed that 7:30/8pm bedtime when my kids were little!
We watch a few shows a year, but once we start one, we "need" to watch it every night until it's done.
My goal is to be in bed by 9/9:30 and either watch a show or read until 10, but it’s usually between 10:30 and 11 when I turn out the light.

Cleaning up the kitchen, wiping down counters, sweeping floor
Backpack packed
Clothes set out, as well as any change of clothes/extra jackets, etc., I might need, depending on where I'm going when I leave work
If taking anything "extra" to work, I put it in the car the night before
Discussion with my husband about who's going where (who's driving the carpool/going to the game, etc.) the next day

I set my phone to downtime at 10pm.
I keep a consistent evening routine, so I am more dependent on habits and need to make fewer decisions.
I charge my phone across the room only because of my dad and his health issues. Until that point, I always charged my phone in the hall. I'm never on my phone in bed.
My kids also have an automatic downtime on their phones, and phones are charged in the hall.
I set alarms for EVERYTHING because I ignore reminders on my phone! I have to make reservations for classes at my gym, so I set alarms to schedule those, as well as to cancel the night before if I can't make it.
I also set alarms for non-routine tasks or if I need to grab an item from home to take to work. Most of my alarms go off between 7 and 8, and yes, I press snooze a lot, but it does get done!

We definitely share the load, and depending on the season of life (or season of the school year/work, etc.), one of us will take on more to help things run smoothly. My husband tends to do a lot of the after-school appointments for the kids because he works from home and has a more flexible schedule. We have had seasons where he worked 70+ hours a week, so I take on more of the household tasks and carpools. He always cooks, though, and for good reason! I'm great at picking up takeout, though.

We have our house cleaned every other week, and a gardener that takes care of our front yard only weekly.
If we’re out of town for sports all weekend, my husband might schedule a grocery pickup, but otherwise, he prefers to do it.
We shop online/Amazon as much as possible just to save time.

I aim to workout 3-4 days a week. I have a cycle class I love, and will go once or twice a week if schedules allow, and a strength class one day a week. Otherwise, I use the Peloton app for strength workouts or indoor cycle. Cycling at home is hard for me, otherwise I’d probably cut out my gym membership. I go for a neighborhood walk whenever I can.

I love to read and take walks while listening to a podcast or an audiobook, and I prioritize working out 3-4 days a week.
I get together with friends for book club or happy hour, maybe every other month or so.
I really love watching my kids play sports, and while it is time-consuming, I know this season will be over soon, and I will miss it so much when it is.
Family time is hard to come by, so we prioritize travel during the summer and school breaks. We do maybe 3-5 trips as a family a year, depending on length and location.
Ironically, my husband and I go out less now that our kids are older than we did when we needed babysitters. I thought we'd have more time as the kids got older, but that has not been the case for us.

I am a person that has at least 20 tabs open on my computer at all times, and at least a million tabs open in my brain. I love to learn (teaching, health, parenting, organization/productivity), I'm an over-thinker, and I get FOMO really easily.
Three things that I am always telling myself:
- I can do anything, but not everything all at once.
- When I have a lot to juggle, I have to remember that some balls are rubber and some balls are glass. Sometimes I have to let the rubber balls bounce to keep the glass balls from shattering. (I believe this came from an interview with Nora Roberts.)
- Done is better than perfect.

Thank you so much to this woman for generously sharing. These publish every Thursday!

Encouraging comments always welcome!
If you have questions or even hang-ups about what someone shared, you are welcome to ask a question for the sharer in the same kind, genuinely curious way you would if you were looking at that woman in her eyes. She might respond through me.
If comments are judge-y or mean-spirited, I reserve the right to delete comments. I can handle being criticized about my own work here (and even still, to a degree – I’m also a person), but I go into full mama bear mode when people come after my people – including women who are being vulnerable and sharing in the first place.
Thanks to the vast majority of people who are so kind!

HISMD: Elementary School Teacher

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