A Time Management Plan Made Super Simple

When you’re teaching over 40 hours a week, time management is essential. Your students depend on you to have your act together. If you’re organised and not frantically juggling everything, you can focus on what truly matters—helping students learn.

Balancing your personal life, social life, work-life, and health can feel overwhelming. Some days, it’s a battle of “What do I sacrifice today?” Just to survive the workload.

There are many strategies for time management, but one has stood the test of time: The Ivy Lee Method.

The Ivy Lee Method

This method dates back to 1918, when Charles Schwab, president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, wanted to boost his team’s efficiency. He sought advice from Ivy Lee, a respected businessman and productivity consultant.

Lee offered his method for free—on one condition. He would spend just 15 minutes with each executive. If the method worked within three months, Schwab could pay him whatever he thought it was worth.

Three months later, Schwab was so impressed that he wrote Lee a cheque for $25,000—the equivalent of $400,000 today. That’s how powerful yet simple the Ivy Lee Method is.

How This Time Management Method Works

At the end of each school day:
✔️ Write down six key tasks you need to complete tomorrow (or just three if that feels more realistic for you).
✔️ Prioritise them in order of importance.
✔️ The next day, start with the first task and work on it until it’s complete before moving to the next one.
✔️ At the end of the day, move any unfinished tasks to the next day’s list.
✔️ Repeat this process every day.

This method eliminates decision fatigue because you’ve already decided what needs to be done before the day begins. Planning the night before removes unnecessary stress and helps you stay on track.

Prioritising: Urgency vs Importance

Not everything on your list is equally important. Rank your tasks based on urgency and impact.
Some tasks are high-priority, like lesson planning, report writing, or meeting deadlines. Others, like answering non-urgent emails, can wait.

Scheduling Your Day

🕒 Plan your tasks for different times: before school, recess, lunch, or prep periods.
🕒 Be realistic—not every day will go as planned, so allow flexibility in your schedule.
🕒 Focus on one task at a time and avoid multitasking.

Why Simplicity Works Best

✔️ Tackle the Most Important Task First We all have tasks we dread, but procrastinating only drains energy. Instead of putting off that challenging MIT, get it done first thing in the morning when your energy is highest.
✔️ Avoid Decision Fatigue By having your top priorities already planned, you won’t waste time debating what to do next. Less decision-making = more energy for actual work.
✔️ Stay Flexible If something unexpected comes up, adjust your approach rather than abandoning it. Example: If you planned to cook a big dinner but got home late, opt for a quick, healthy meal instead of giving up and ordering takeout.
✔️ Choosing Your Outfit the Night Before One simple way to apply this method is to choose your outfit the night before. Instead of wasting time in the morning debating what to wear (or realising you need to iron something last minute!), make the decision after your evening shower. You’ll relax better and you will look professional, saving precious time in the morning for that ‘Most Important Task’ (MITs). 

This frees up mental space for the morning so you can focus on your most important task instead of scrambling over small details.

Why Multi-Tasking is Killing Your Productivity

We used to believe multi-tasking was the key to getting more done. But neuroscience proves it actually slows us down.

The Problem with Multi-Tasking

🚫 It takes the brain up to 25 minutes to refocus after switching tasks.
🚫 Half-finished work piles up, leading to stress and inefficiency.
🚫 We become mentally drained from constantly shifting focus.

As teachers, we know how disruptive interruptions are to student learning. Why treat our own focus any differently?

The Power of Single-Tasking

Focus on One Task at a Time
✔️ Don’t check emails while grading.
✔️ Don’t start lesson planning, then scroll through social media.
✔️ Do commit fully to completing one task before moving on.

Set Boundaries
🕒 Use a timer to block out uninterrupted work periods.
🕒 Turn off notifications while working.
🕒 Set specific times to check and respond to emails instead of doing it throughout the day.

By staying laser-focused, you’ll complete tasks faster and with less stress.

Final Thoughts: The Power of Simplicity

The Ivy Lee Method works because it’s simple.

With today’s constant distractions, we’ve become addicted to busyness. But doing more doesn’t mean achieving more. The secret to time management isn’t working harder—it’s working smarter.

Key Takeaways

✔️ Plan your day the night before
✔️ Prioritise 3–6 key tasks
✔️ Tackle the most important task first
✔️ Avoid multi-tasking—focus on one task at a time
✔️ Be flexible but stay committed to your goals
Try the Ivy Lee Method for a week and see how much more productive and less stressed you feel!

Want to see this method in action?

Watch this 5-minute video explaining the Ivy Lee Time Management Method: