A Time-Saving Tip for Teachers That Actually Works
Test this teaching tip next time procrastination hits
Hey, how’s it going? I’m Erik Johnson—a veteran social studies teacher, university professor, and educator coach. In this newsletter, I share practical teaching tips, deep dives into education topics, and the occasional piece on my personal interests. If it’s your first time here, take a look at my coaching homepage, and don’t forget to subscribe!
A Free Teaching Tip
One of the classic productivity traps in teaching is the sheer number of tasks and asks that pile up on our plates. When class ends and we finally return to our desks, there’s often a long list of things competing for our attention. I’ve seen teachers tackle this in all kinds of ways, from simple Post-Its stuck to the edge of a monitor to full-on GTD systems in a digital task manager.
Still, no matter the strategy, the sheer volume of things to do can feel overwhelming. Even when we’re trying to sort and prioritize, it’s easy to get stuck in that mental loop of “what should I even do next?”
That’s where David Allen’s Two Minute Rule comes in.
If a task takes less than two minutes, do it right away! As someone who already takes time to organize and sort through my workload, this small habit has made a big difference. It helps me shrink the mountain of things I have to keep track of, and more importantly, it cuts down on procrastination. I can knock out a bunch of tiny tasks, build some momentum, and then dive into deeper work like lesson planning or grading.
Give it a try!