Three Keys to a 40 Hour CS Teacher Work Week

CSTA 2022

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Hi! I’m Jen.

CURRENTLY:

CSTA Membership Experience Manager

College CS Instructor

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PREVIOUSLY:

High School CS Teacher

Middle School CS Teacher

Curriculum Development

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@jennifer_manly

+TT// @strategicclasroom

jenmanlyedu@gmail.com

jennifermanly.com

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Recovering people-pleaser, former yes gal.

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Former TSA advisor, summer camp attendee, yearbook advisor, and committee sitter.

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Tired: “Be the first one to arrive in the morning and the last one to leave each night.”

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Inspired: Being an effective AND efficient teacher so you can avoid burnout and stay in the profession you love

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Why are teachers so tired?

• Many different things to do
• Many different types of things to do: need to use different parts of our brains and task switch
• Emotional labor
• Serving many different stakeholders
• Being expected to do it all without necessary supplies, time, or support

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Boundaries

Systems

Strengths

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Ultimately, though,

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You can be a great teacher AND still want to have a life outside of teaching.

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Create boundaries between work + home that allow you to do the things you love, recharge, and take a break.

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You are worthy of time away from your job.

You are a better teacher because you take a break.

The world will not end if something does not get done.

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One Action: Set up your Auto-responder

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The 24-Hour Rule

• When you’re asked to do something outside of the scope of your contract, say thank you for the opportunity, and share that you’ll need 24 hours to give them a definite decision
• “Thank you so much for considering me for this opportunity. One of the ways I’m trying to grow this year is by only saying yes to opportunities that I can give 100% of my time and energy to because they kids deserve that. I’ll be able to give you a definite answer tomorrow.”

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Other ways to set boundaries on your time:

• Set appointments for right after school/when you want to leave – the gym, getting your nails done, coffee with a friend, or time on your porch with a good book!
• Work only your contract hours OR decide how much extra time you want to put in:
• Staying one hour late a few days a week
• Working for three hours one day a weekend, etc
• Take email off of your phone

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Say no.

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Implement systems to streamline work + improve your efficiency so that you can take your time back.

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What do you think of when you hear the word “productivity?”

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Your to do list will never be done.

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Avoid multitasking.

Get clear on what “Done” looks like.

Do the most important work first.

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How can we focus on getting that which is most important done first?

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Task management: Planning your Work

• Brain Dump
• Time Box
• Prioritize
• Commit
• Get Stuff Done

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To Do

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Work Management: Pomodoro Technique

• Pick ONE task that you want to get done
• Set a timer for 25 minutes
• Focus on ONLY that task for 25 minutes -- no cheating!
• Once your timer goes off, take a five minute unplugged break
• Repeat!
• Every four Pomodoros (25 min + 5 min break), take a 10 minute break
• I love tomato-timer.com -- it’s a free online timer!

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Create systems to streamline your work.

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What do I mean by a system?

• A system is a process that we’ll use over and over again
• Why? Systems save time + mental energy.
• Could be a workflow tool for you, a procedure for your classroom, or something curricular for kids.
• Choose a couple to start with, test them out, and get feedback from kids
• Keep it simple! Kids are overwhelmed with new information, how can you simplify? Embed?
• Stay consistent!

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One Actionable System: Managing Redos

• Use a Google Form to manage these -- Click here to get mine
• Choose one day a week to grade redos -- Tell your students, and stay consistent!
• Be specific with deadlines -- managing redos IS extra work for you -- it’s critical, though. Be clear about when the ABSOLUTE last day is that you can accept redos.
• Consider creating a gradebook key -- use a Google doc and link all of the necessary info students need to be able to complete the redo

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Mastering your schedule + finding more time

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Conduct a Time Audit

• Do you actually know where your time is going?
• For 3-5 days, record how much time you spend on different activities.
• After the observation period, analyze your time:
• Do you know where your time is going? Do you want your time to be going there?
• How much time do you ACTUALLY have?

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Map out your schedule

• Use Google Calendar to lay out your schedule for the upcoming year. Be sure to add any rolling meetings to block out that time.
• Analyze your schedule:
• Where are your blocks of time?
• How long are your blocks of time?
• Where will you have high energy? Low energy? Where is best for creative work?

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Batching work

• Batching is when we do LIKE tasks together to maximize flow.
• Start by categorizing your to do list into four categories:
• Creative tasks
• Decision-making/cognitive tasks
• Logistics tasks
• 15 minute or less tasks
• Group your to do list based on time estimates and the openings in your schedule

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Batching Example

Grading CSA �Grading CSP�Plan CSA�Plan CSP�Make copies CSP�Make copies CSA�Organize student papers�Positive parent emails�Review assessment data�Grading redos

Grading CSA �Grading CSP�Plan CSA�Plan CSP�Make copies CSP�Make copies CSA�Organize student papers�Positive parent emails�Review assessment data�Grading redos

Grading CSA �Grading CSP�Review assessment data�Grading redos��Plan CSA�Plan CSP�Positive parent emails��Make copies CSP�Make copies CSA��Organize student papers��

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Time-saving hacks for Computer Science

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What are some challenges unique to teaching CS?

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Unique CS Challenges

• Multiple preps
• Sometimes those preps lack curriculum
• Often the only person in the building (or the only one teaching those preps)
• Classes may have a variety of students in them, which means there’s a need to differentiate (which takes time!)

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Saving time with grading

• Not everything needs to be graded. It’s okay to use some work as practice.
• If something needs to be graded, could it be self- or auto-graded? What are the tradeoffs?
• Use rubrics and short form feedback (plusses and deltas) whenever possible to cut down on grading time

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What to Do If You Don’t Have a Curriculum

• Use your resources + adopt an existing curriculum: START here and make notes to update or change for the next year
• Find + connect with other CS teachers in the district or those teaching your curriculum (through a PD provider).
• Share resources with each other
• Use repetition

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Not every lesson needs to be award-winning: don’t reinvent the wheel.

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Building in repetition to lessons

• Post the SAME format on your LMS every week. The one I use is:
• Overview and to do list
• Lesson info/resources
• Any assignments
• Link to gradebook key
• Knowledge checks
• If you like an activity, use it again. Repetition is good for kids and lessens the cognitive overload each time they use it.

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Creating + Not Wasting Time

• Ways to create time during class:
• Have students facilitate review, complete an hour of code, or do another activity that is LOW overhead for you
• What materials prep can students help with?
• Actually work on your planning:
• Close your door, put up a sign.
• Put your phone away (or film yourself on time lapse!)

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Tap into what makes YOU a

great teacher.

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What are 1-3 actionable commitments you can make to yourself for this school year?

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Questions?

LET’S CONNECT!

@jennifer_manly

+TT// @strategicclasroom

jenmanlyedu@gmail.com

jennifermanly.com

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