What a Teacher Work Day Is and 7 Awesome Tips for Spending It (2024)

All students love those extra days off in the school calendar for teacher work days. However, you may be wondering what actually goes on while the students are at home, cozy in their pajamas.

Most teachers find themselves overwhelmed at times. If you’re thinking about becoming a full-time classroom teacher, it will be helpful for you to know what a teacher work day is and how it can make your life a whole lot easier!

What a Teacher Work Day Is and 7 Awesome Tips for Spending It (1)

In many schools, have teacher work days occasionally during the term is a professional right, so make sure that you take advantage of them when signing a contract for a new position! Work days make it easier for you to accomplish your professional duties as a teacher, so it’s important that you know what to do when a work day rolls around.

I’ve been teaching for a long time, and teacher work days are a valuable part of the job! In this article, I’ll share with you some of the best tips that I’ve learned while taking advantage of teacher work days throughout my teaching career.

I’ve also done a lot of in-depth research on the benefits of teacher work days and how to best use them. I’ll share all of the best information that I’ve learned to help you make work days some of the best days of the year!

Let’s start off with the basics: what exactly is a teacher work day?

What Is a Teacher Work Day?

Teaching can be a lot of work. During the day, you’re often too busy teaching classes to do things like updating lesson plans, grading papers, preparing materials, and making copies of worksheets and tests.

No one wants to have to take a ton of work home with them, spending weekends and evenings getting caught up. This is where the teacher work day comes in!

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Work days are also a great opportunity to collaborate with colleagues on the needs of your shared students and create exciting interdisciplinary lessons. You can also work with colleagues within your own departments to help each other come up with new ideas and overcome challenges that you face in your classrooms.

On some work days, school districts will also offer workshops and other training opportunities to help teachers improve their teaching skills. Many of these workshops can count toward the continuing education credits that teachers need in order to maintain their certifications.

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According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, the average school district offers an average of 10 days each year in which teachers can work in their classrooms without any students present. This has been shown to significantly increase class quality and work-life balance for teachers.

Unfortunately, in some school districts, it can be difficult to actually spend time preparing lessons and doing collaborative work on these teacher work days.

Some schools arrange so much additional training, that there’s no time for anything else! This can seriously limit the productivity of a teacher work day.

Hopefully, you’ll end up teaching at a school that values the important work that you can get done on a teacher work day!

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Do you still have questions about what a teacher work day looks like?

Check out this great YouTube video! In this video, an experienced teacher takes you through a work day at her school and shows you all of the best ways to spend that extra time in your classroom.

Are you interested in becoming a teacher, but you’re not quite sure how to go about it? Check out this article to learn how to get an online teaching job, even if you have no teaching experience.

How Is It Determined When the Teacher Work Day Will Be Held?

Typically, teacher work days are built into the school calendar at the beginning of the school year. You should know by the first day of school when those work days will occur so that you can plan ahead.

These days are chosen by the school district, often in conjunction with the local teacher’s union. This allows the best interests of both the district and its teachers to be represented in the final calendar.

7 Tips for Spending the Teacher Work Day and How It Can Change Your Work-Life Balance

When there’s a work day on the calendar, you should make the most of it! Follow these tips to maximize your day:

1. Avoid Distractions

Social media, email, and sidebar conversations can eat into your work time, so keep these to a minimum.

2. Make a Schedule

Give yourself a certain amount of time for each task that needs to be done to ensure that you stay on top of everything.

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3. Don’t Be a Perfectionist

Focus on knocking out as many tasks as possible instead of sweating over small details that can take up a lot of your time.

4. Prioritize

If there’s a big project that needs to be done that you never seem to have the time for, make sure that it gets done on your work day.

5. Don’t Multitask

For example, dedicate certain times during the day to check emails or make copies instead of doing these things in smaller batches throughout the day.

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6. Know Your Resources

Instead of making lesson plans or activities from scratch, know where you can find great resources that you can use to build your own lesson plans in less time.

7. Work Together

Work days are the best time to collaborate, so take advantage of any help that your colleagues may be able to provide by working together on teacher work days.

Because there has been so much additional distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers can also consider doing additional online lessons during teacher work days. Check out this article to learn more about the pros and cons of teaching online.

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If you’re like most people, you like to keep your work at work. When you head home, that time should be spent on family, friends, hobbies, and self-care.

Unfortunately, many teachers have a hard time leaving their work in the classroom. If you can’t find time between classes to prepare lesson plans, grade papers, and prepare materials, you may find yourself continuing to work after hours.

Teacher work days can definitely help alleviate this problem! These days are a chance to work on these projects uninterrupted so that you can get your precious home time back!

Useful Resources

In Conclusion

There are a lot of great benefits to a teaching career, but there can also be struggles. The amount of work that you have to do outside of your teaching time is one of the biggest problems that teachers face.

By taking advantage of teacher work days, hopefully, you can increase your productivity and cut down on the amount of work that you take home at the end of the day!

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Simona Johnes

Simona Johnes is the visionary being the creation of our project. Johnes spent much of her career in the classroom working with students. And, after many years in the classroom, Johnes became a principal.

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What a Teacher Work Day Is and 7 Awesome Tips for Spending It (2024)

FAQs

What do teachers spend most of their time on? ›

Teachers are asked to do many things outside the classroom, such as meetings, professional development, delivering and analyzing assessments, and supervising everything from the lunchroom to the hallway to the carpool line. They also have to plan lessons and grade student work.

What are the 5 most important characteristics of a teacher? ›

5 Qualities Teachers Should Have
  1. Patience and Compassion. It's fair to say that most teachers will have their patience tested more than once during their careers! ...
  2. Energy and Enthusiasm. ...
  3. Excellent communication skills. ...
  4. Excellent subject knowledge and willingness to learn. ...
  5. Organisation and discipline.
Jul 1, 2022

What does a typical work day look like for a teacher? ›

In general, a teacher's day may consist of:

Working with students during individual or small group instruction. Preparing materials for future lessons. Attending staff meetings or professional development workshops. Grading assignments.

What are the 7 roles of an educator? ›

1) Assessor2) Learning mediator3) Interpreter and designer of learning programmes and materials4) Leader, administrator and manager5) Scholar, researcher and lifelong learner6) Community, citizenship and pastoral role7) Learning area/subject/discipline/phase specialist1.2demonstrate these roles in your classroom1) ...

How do teachers use time wisely? ›

Time management: a guide for teachers and education staff
  1. Work out your goals. ...
  2. Make a list. ...
  3. Prioritise the important tasks. ...
  4. Break tasks down into manageable steps. ...
  5. Recognise and reward your achievements. ...
  6. Rest up ahead of intense periods of work. ...
  7. Value your time.

What is the best thing to give teachers day? ›

Check out our list of 20 teacher appreciation gift ideas for your favorite educators.
  • Custom Mugs. Custom coffee mugs are great gift ideas for your teachers. ...
  • Christmas Ornaments. ...
  • Custom Tote Bags. ...
  • Teacher Appreciation Cards. ...
  • Magnets. ...
  • Quote Wall Art. ...
  • Notebooks & Notepads. ...
  • Travel Drinkware.
May 31, 2023

What are 3 qualities of an effective teacher? ›

Some qualities of a good teacher include skills in communication, listening, collaboration, adaptability, empathy and patience. Other characteristics of effective teaching include an engaging classroom presence, value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices and a lifelong love of learning.

What is the most important trait of a teacher? ›

Patience is an important characteristic for effective teachers in both practice and as a model. Empathy. Empathy is an important quality for teachers. Children and youth have big feelings and are often dealing with more than we know outside the classroom.

What are qualities of a good teacher? ›

The Top 14 Qualities that Make a Good Teacher
  • Adaptability. Adaptability is a must for teachers, who need to continuously evaluate what's working for their students — and even more importantly, what isn't working. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Patience. ...
  • Engagement. ...
  • Active Listening. ...
  • Lifelong Learning. ...
  • Free of Bias. ...
  • Respectful Attitude.

What do teachers do on a day to day basis? ›

A teacher is responsible for preparing lesson plans and educating students at all levels. Their duties include assigning homework, grading tests, and documenting progress. Teachers must be able to instruct in a variety of subjects and reach students with engaging lesson plans.

What do teachers do on work days? ›

What Is a Teacher Work Day? Teaching can be a lot of work. During the day, you're often too busy teaching classes to do things like updating lesson plans, grading papers, preparing materials, and making copies of worksheets and tests.

What are 4 responsibilities of a teacher? ›

Prepare classroom for class activities. Provide a variety of learning materials and resources for use in educational activities. Observe and evaluate student's performance and development. Assign and grade class work, homework, tests and assignments.

What are the six educator strategies? ›

According to the authors, those six tools are: (1) Reading for Meaning, (2) Compare and Contrast, (3) Inductive Learning, (4) Circle of Knowledge, (5) Write to Learn, and (6) Vocabulary's CODE.

What are duties and responsibilities of a teacher? ›

Develops, plans, and implements curriculum, lesson plans, and educational programs for student audiences within areas of expertise. Advises, tests, and teaches students audiences in a variety of academic subjects. Presents and reinforces learning concepts within a specified subject or subject area.

Where teachers spend the most time in the classroom? ›

Elementary schools in the U.S. According to an OECD report, teachers in Chile spend the most time in the classroom. Generally, primary school teachers are required to spend more hours teaching than their counterparts in secondary education - a total average of 782 hours each year.

How much time do teachers actually spend teaching? ›

A new, nationally representative survey of teachers found that a typical teacher works a median of 54 hours per week. But just 46 percent of their time in the school building is spent teaching.

Why is timing important for teachers? ›

Timing a lesson correctly, therefore, is imperative for ensuring that the current student gets the full lesson to which they are entitled, while not over-running and causing the following lesson to start late.

What do teachers want from students? ›

Teachers want students to come to class each day ready to learn. They want them to come prepared, focused, and motivated. They want students to enjoy the learning process and to be active participants in the learning process. Teachers want students to be respectful.

Do you give gifts for teachers Day? ›

Whenever a great teacher is retiring, giving teacher appreciation gifts makes sense. A gift can increase the likelihood the teacher will remember the school fondly and recommend it to others. Teachers often give so much more of themselves than they are required or paid to do.

How much should you spend on teacher appreciation gift? ›

Generally, it is common to spend $15 to $20 on gift cards per teacher. If you only have one teacher or if you can splurge, you can spend a bit more. It is not uncommon in some regions or private schools to spend $50 on a teacher's card. Put the gift card in one of these teacher appreciation card envelops.

What is an example of an effective and efficient teacher? ›

They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are patient with students, and assess their teaching on a regular basis. They are able to adjust their teaching strategies to fit both the students and the material, recognizing that different students learn in different ways.

Who is a teacher in simple words? ›

A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. Pedagogy, subject knowledge; competence in teaching the subject, in curriculum, in learner assessment; psychology; planning; leadership.

How can teachers motivate students? ›

Positive Outcomes

Give verbal praise for successful progress or accomplishment. Give personal attention to students. Provide informative, helpful feedback when it is immediately useful. Provide motivating feedback (praise) immediately following task performance.

How do you motivate students in the classroom? ›

A List Of Simple Ideas To Improve Student Motivation
  1. Give students a sense of control. ...
  2. Be clear about learning objectives. ...
  3. Create a threat-free environment. ...
  4. Change your scenery. ...
  5. Offer varied experiences. ...
  6. Use positive competition. ...
  7. Offer rewards. ...
  8. Give students responsibility.
Dec 11, 2021

What is an effective teaching? ›

Effective teaching is the knowledge, strategies, processes and behaviours which lead to good student outcomes. Effective teachers have a positive impact on their students and use their expertise to improve learning. These good outcomes are often those that can be measured easily, usually through summative assessment.

What are the 6 qualities of a good teacher? ›

These six qualities are pervasive in teachers who have not only stuck it out, but who continue to thrive year after year.
  • Sense of Humor. ...
  • Intrinsic Motivation. ...
  • Flexibility. ...
  • Gratitude. ...
  • Persistent and Consistent. ...
  • Belief in All Children.

What makes a happy classroom? ›

Make everyone feel welcome and that they're part of your team. Show your tribe how to take good care of each other. A happy classroom is built primarily on positive relationships and a sense of belonging.

What is your weakness as a teacher? ›

Perfectionism

But being afraid to make a mistake makes us prime targets for burnout and overwhelm while also leading us to become fearful of trying new things. This is the cliche answer that tops the list of common weaknesses of teachers.

What it means to be a teacher? ›

A teacher is a person, who provides education for people; one who teaches or instructs. The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education.

What are the benefits of being a teacher? ›

Benefits of Being a Teacher
  • 1) No Two Days are the Same. ...
  • 2) Chance to Make an Impact on a Community. ...
  • 3) Job Security. ...
  • 4) A Chance to be Creative. ...
  • 5) Unlimited Impact. ...
  • 6) Flexible Work Schedules. ...
  • 7) Lifelong Learning. ...
  • 8) Opportunity to Travel.

How much time do teachers spend grading? ›

How much time do teachers spend grading papers? Teachers spend time grading papers during school, and they spend about another hour and thirty-five minutes at home grading. The time in a day spent grading can really add up for teachers.

What do teachers do on the weekend? ›

Typically, teachers do what any other professional does during the weekend, including, spend time with family, sleep, catch up on grading papers, etc. Because teachers make so little, several teachers I know work part time jobs on the weekends at restaurants or grocery stores to make ends meet.

What are teachers responsibilities and accountability? ›

A teacher is expected to assess every student based on their capabilities and not based on their culture, gender, traditions or preferences. Quality education is insured, and public resources are put into proper usage. If a better performance out of the teachers is expected, they are funded and salaries accordingly.

What are the 5 E's teaching strategies? ›

o The 5Es represent five stages of a sequence for teaching and learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend (or Elaborate), and Evaluate. personally involved in the lesson, while pre-assessing prior understanding.

What are the 4 C's teaching strategies? ›

The 21st century learning skills are often called the 4 C's: critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating. These skills help students learn, and so they are vital to success in school and beyond. Critical thinking is focused, careful analysis of something to better understand it.

What are the 10 high impact teaching strategies? ›

The 10 high impact teaching strategies that have been identified to provide the most benefits are:
  • Setting goals.
  • Structuring lessons.
  • Explicit teaching.
  • Worked examples.
  • Collaborative learning.
  • Multiple exposures.
  • Questioning.
  • Feedback.
Jun 10, 2022

What is a teacher profile summary? ›

A teacher profile is a short paragraph, or a bulleted list summarising your qualities and suitability for a position. It is at the start of the resume and provides a quick summary to the recruiter to access your resume. It highlights your best skills and capabilities that improve your chances of selection.

What is the role of the teacher in classroom management? ›

The effective teacher performs many functions that can be organized into three major roles: (1) making wise choices about the most effective instruction strategies to employ, (2) designing classroom curriculum to facilitate student learning, and (3) making effective use of classroom management techniques (Marzano, ...

What are teaching and assessment responsibilities? ›

Main Accountabilities Teaching and Assessment: ● Plan lessons and sequence of lessons to meet student's individual learning needs and to ensure student's progression. Use a range of appropriate strategies for teaching and learning and classroom management.

What does your teacher do everyday? ›

A teacher is responsible for preparing lesson plans and educating students at all levels. Their duties include assigning homework, grading tests, and documenting progress. Teachers must be able to instruct in a variety of subjects and reach students with engaging lesson plans.

What do teachers want most? ›

They want them to come prepared, focused, and motivated. They want students to enjoy the learning process and to be active participants in the learning process. Teachers want students to be respectful. They want students to respect their authority.

What do teachers love the most? ›

Teachers love sincere messages of thanks and appreciation. One teacher says, “I love notes from students and parents. I keep them in a folder so I can read them when I have a difficult day. They help keep me positive.” Others noted they enjoy gifts that students are involved in.

What are 3 things teachers do? ›

We see teachers as people with a set of responsibilities, including asking questions, evaluating students, lecturing, praising or critiquing, assigning homework, supervising and grading examinations, and, at the end of the semester or year, grading each student.

What is the most important thing a teacher does? ›

A willingness to share knowledge and experiences with others is one of the most important qualities of a good teacher, Rogers said. Education is a hands-on field and often requires experimentation within the classroom to discover which methods of communicating with students work best.

What is a teacher's most important responsibility? ›

Dedication. One of the most important parts of teaching is having dedication. Teachers not only listen, but also coach and mentor their students. They are able to help shape academic goals and are dedicated to getting their students to achieve them.

What is the toughest time of year for teachers? ›

Spring (March, April, May)

Where do teachers make the most money? ›

New York leads the nation in teacher pay with an average salary of $80,286, according to WalletHub.

What 3 loves should a great teacher have? ›

'Teachers have three loves: love of learning, love of learners, and the love of bringing the first two loves together.

Is $50 too much for teacher gift? ›

A good rule of thumb is to spend around $20-$30, but if you have a larger budget, you could go up to $50. If you have multiple children in school, you might want to consider pooling your resources with other parents to split the cost of a more expensive gift.

What is a good gift card amount for a teacher? ›

Generally, it is common to spend $15 to $20 on gift cards per teacher. If you only have one teacher or if you can splurge, you can spend a bit more. It is not uncommon in some regions or private schools to spend $50 on a teacher's card. Put the gift card in one of these teacher appreciation card envelops.

What is the greatest joy to a teacher? ›

The joys of teaching
  • to witness the diversity of growth in young people, and their joy in learning.
  • to encourage lifelong learning—both for yourself and for others.
  • to experience the challenge of devising and doing interesting, exciting activities for the young.

What makes teachers like you? ›

Being kind, being interested, being passionate about your subject, and just caring about your students are qualities that students still think make a teacher memorable. And if you're a little quirky, that's OK too.

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