Brittany Daly - Blog Post 6: Routman (2003), Ch. 12: You Only Have So Much Time

Time. Is there ever enough of it? As teachers, our job is never done. As long as I have been teaching, there has never been a time when my to-do list has been fully cleared; there is always something else to do – another copy to make, another test to create, another resource to find. I can relate so well to the teacher at the beginning of the chapter. How many times have I had to turn down plans so I can get school related work done on the weekends? With so much pressure being placed on teachers and students, we go out of our way to make sure that we are finding and using the best strategies and resources for our students, and this takes a lot of time and effort.

In this chapter, Routman acknowledges that time is a precious commodity for teachers, and she provides teachers with tips to make the most of their time. One of the lines that stands out most to me is, “Every moment spent with a child is an opportunity to teach” (p. 205). This line hits me hard because I know there are so many times when I am taking care of menial tasks in my classroom instead of assessing, evaluating, teaching, or conferencing with students. I can make better use of my time with my students by saving as much of the tedious work as possible for my planning period or the end of the day. Making every minute count is important because there is so much for students to learn each year. Routman suggests that independent work should be made simpler, lessons should be taught at a lively pace (so student interest isn’t lost), and evaluation should be ongoing. Directions should be clear and concise, and subjects can be integrated to optimize teaching time. 

I think my biggest take-away from this chapter is that I need to spend more time evaluating my students’ progress. I need be strategic about how I use the time my students spend in my classroom, especially in the morning. I began the year with grand intentions of using the early morning time before specials to conduct reading conferences with students. However, this chunk of time always seems to fly by as I get lunch choices, take attendance, read parent notes, and redirect students who are off task. My goal for the remainder of the school year is to make better use of this time.