Online education comes with great benefits for students, parents, and teachers, but it also requires a shift in virtual classroom setup and time management. Online courses have unique considerations, like course prep and planning for asynchronous, synchronous, and blended learning, as well as grading and providing feedback in real time. In this blog, we’ll be covering ways educators can effectively manage their time while teaching online to boost productivity and enhance the virtual classroom experience for your students.
Enhancing the virtual classroom experience
Time management is important to the overall classroom experience and quality of the education. It can enhance the virtual experience by:
- Boosting efficiency and productivity
- Promoting a work-life balance
- Creating a necessary structure to make the most of a flexible environment
- Meeting deadlines
- Enhancing the learning environment and experience
Boosting productivity in your virtual classroom
Enhanced efficiency: Effective time management allows you to allocate specific blocks of time for various tasks, such as lesson planning, grading, and student interactions. This structured approach reduces wasted time and increases the efficiency of task completion.
Reduced multitasking: By managing time well, you can boost your overall productivity by focusing on a single task at a time, while reducing errors or the need for revisions.
Improved work-life balance: A clear separation between professional responsibilities and personal life reduces burnout, which allows you to be more energized and engaged with your online learners and provide more productive outcomes.
Increased quality of instruction: Working on yourself should also be a priority–and through effective time management, you can allocate time for professional development and research into educational trends and technology. This commitment to continuous improvement can enhance the quality of instruction, making the learning experience more productive and rewarding for students.
Consistent progress and motivation: Setting and adhering to a schedule helps both educators and students make consistent progress in the curriculum. Regular achievements and meeting goals can motivate all parties involved to maintain (or even increase) their productivity levels.
Decreased procrastination: With tasks and expectations clearly defined, the temptation to procrastinate is minimized. This helps educators stay ahead of workloads, and prepare materials and feedback in a timely manner, which positively impacts the overall learning experience.
Optimized student engagement: Educators who manage their time well can dedicate specific time blocks to student interaction, creating a more engaging and supportive learning environment. This fosters active participation, which is essential for effective online learning. When students feel connected and involved, we’re more likely to see better educational outcomes.
Time management: The key to successful online teaching
Follow these 10 time-management tips to help you master the art of full-time or part-time virtual instruction:
- Mindful, intentional planning. Set goals and make strategic decisions to reach them by meeting due dates or milestones along the way.
- Borrow resources from colleagues. These can be online lesson plans for students or fun collaborative learning ideas. ASU Prep offers Watercooler Wisdom, a platform for teachers to share their experiences around effective teaching skills and activities.
- Develop regular schedules with time blocking. Establish segmented times and routines during the week for grading, preparing lessons, personal time, and holding virtual office hours.
- Prioritize and organize tasks. Project management systems like Trello or Basecamp can help you organize your online lesson plans and coursework, as well as manage your day-to-day tasks.
- Create healthy habits. Remember to put yourself first and create healthy self-care habits like breathing exercises, mindfulness, and taking regular five-minute breaks. For more ideas, check out ASU Prep’s training on teacher wellness.
- Set milestones and reward yourself. Track your progress and stay motivated by celebrating small wins along the way. Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from recognizing milestones.
- Use technology wisely: Leverage apps and social media like Google Classroom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams to automate repetitive tasks and facilitate communication with students. There are also programs to help create fun, interactive ways to learn. Remember to be mindful of potential distractions and set boundaries to minimize them.
- Be realistic. Set achievable goals based on your current workload and personal commitments, and stay true to them to prevent frustration and burnout.
- Learn to say no. Sometimes things come up last minute, but that doesn’t mean that you have to take it on. Set boundaries around additional requests. If anything is going to knock you off course from your goals, then it isn’t worth the extra stress and distraction.
- Reflect and adjust. Regularly review your time-management strategies and be open to making adjustments. Reflection allows you to identify what’s working and what needs improvement, enabling continuous optimization of your workflow.
Time-management techniques aren’t one-size-fits-all. Programs and/or strategies that work for some educators might not work for you—and that’s okay. Start small and develop time-management skills that get you on the right track and collect tips for teaching online classes that work for your classroom. Remember, you always have resources at your fingertips if you need additional information and training to help you succeed.
Provide your K–12 teachers with effective support to thrive in digital classroom environments
Effective time management is an essential skill that directly impacts teaching effectiveness and student engagement. Proper support and professional development cannot be overstressed, as it provides educators with the necessary tools for virtual learning to adapt and thrive in the dynamic digital classroom environment.
ASU Prep Global can help with comprehensive support to make digital learning hassle-free. Whether you need K–12 digital course licensing or an entire learning management system with teacher training, tech support, digital tools, and more, we can customize delivery based on your school or district’s online course needs. Online or in-person sessions are designed to help teachers thrive with professional development topics such as Best Practices in Online Instruction, Blended Learning Models, Learning Management Systems, and Teacher Wellness.
ASU Prep Global partners with other K–12 schools to build new models of educational success, embed early college experiences and provide access to the latest innovative technologies, digital courseware, and professional development. We’re more than a curriculum provider—we’re an innovation partner to top schools and school districts.
We help our partners create high-impact, high-quality digital education that meets the unique needs of their learners and staff. We’re passionate about partnering with school leaders to help innovate learning for K–12 students and educators through Arizona State University-led research, proven effective learning practices, and industry-leading online education technology.
Top 10 ways to master time management for online teaching FAQs
What tools can help me better manage my time while teaching online?
Task management programs will help you stay on schedule with grading and reporting for online classes, and can notify your students once your feedback is submitted.
How do I maintain work-life balance while online teaching?
Just as you block out time for grading or lesson planning, you should block out time for yourself. Use this time to decompress and do something you enjoy, then come back to your tasks with a clear mind.
How do I balance the different responsibilities of online teaching?
There are many support programs and task management systems available to in-person and online educators. Try out different programs to see what works best for your lifestyle and teaching style.