“Time Management is really a misnomer-the challenge is not to manage time, but manage ourselves. The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”              ~Stephen Covey

If we talk about the basic definition of Time Management, it means using one’s time as productively as possible. It requires one to work smarter than harder. But why do teachers need this concept of time management in their daily lives? Teachers have a set syllabus along with a timetable and a deadline to finish. So time management becomes an integral part of their daily lives. 

Time is a valuable resource for effective learning. Extra time spent on one subject/topic leaves less time for another subject/topic. Studies show that the number of time learners is engaged in instructional activities is positively associated with their academic achievements. Therefore, the impact of effective use of time depends on the extent to which the individual teacher manages and effectively uses the classroom time. The engaged time out of the total available classroom time is what actually counts for the quality of time used to teach children. Teachers should try to increase the engaged time with students as much as possible.

A few of the strategies or tips that can be used for effective time management include setting clear teaching goals. One of the models that can be followed here is the SMART model i.e., setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. Teachers should try to set goals that are specific and aimed towards the learning process, minimizing the deviation of any sort. It should be measurable and achievable within the set time span and should be communicated properly to the students. The goal set by the teacher should be aimed towards maximizing output within the minimum allocated time. The teacher can plan his/her day/month in advance with the help of a monthly planner or a class planner. The teacher should try to mix various teaching methods to help children understand better in a lesser time. They should be smart about lesson planning and should try to mix teaching lessons from the book along with open discussion, question-answer sessions, some activity or a PowerPoint, etc. 

Sometimes, teachers end up spending half of their day correcting and marking question papers, where they can utilize it for effective lesson planning. This wastage of time can be managed by taking help from the students to mark each other's papers if it is an objective type test. Teachers can minimize giving homework that requires rote learning and instead focuses on giving students activities that will help increase their creativity. Teachers can plan the assignments that they give out to students and can set deadlines which will indirectly help reduce pile work for the teachers. 

Schools having digital facilities can make use of e-learning platforms effectively, which helps in reducing time spent on teaching students and making them understand with chalk and board teaching. E-learning helps in presenting difficult lessons in easy ways, for example, making use of the Gurushala platform to use animated videos or infographics or topicals, etc. to make students understand a difficult concept in an easy way. Thus, effective teaching requires effective time management as it helps in maximizing the productivity of teachers and students by minimizing the time wasted.