time management
As a TA, you will likely be dividing your time between teaching, your own coursework, and research responsibilities. While it can be challenging to balance these competing demands and still find time for yourself, there are various time management strategies that you may find helpful
Some TAs find it helpful to develop a weekly routine and to schedule specific blocks of time for each task. Using a calendar or journal to mark out times when you will prepare for teaching, attend classes, and complete your own work may help you balance the time you spend on each of these tasks. Blocking off an hour to prepare before each time you teach may help you feel confident in your preparation. Similarly, scheduling specific times for research and coursework may increase your focus and reduce the urge to multitask. While communication is an important part of your job as a TA, experiment with only checking your email or phone during designated times of the day to minimize distractions. When building your schedule remember to incorporate time for things that make you feel good, whether that’s a bike ride, making dinner with friends, or reading a book.
If you feel that you are spending too much time on any one of your responsibilities, try keeping a time log for a week or so, being as detailed as possible. This will help you understand how and where you are dedicating your time. Did you spend too much time grading one assignment last week? Were you able to spend a few hours writing your thesis proposal as you had planned, or did that time get redirected towards finishing an essay for a class? You might find that there are opportunities to more efficiently use your time throughout the week or the semester. If you note that you are consistently spending more time on one task than others, talk with your advisor and the primary instructor/coordinator of the class you are teaching.
Setting goals for yourself can act as guideposts to track progress throughout the semester. These goals can be about your teaching, coursework, research, and personal life. Follow the acronym SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) when designing these goals. Try setting goals at different time scales. Weekly and monthly goals can help you complete smaller tasks as you work towards larger semester or program-long goals.
Develop a method for prioritizing tasks when your to-do list is longer than you can realistically achieve in a given time frame. Think about which of the tasks on your lists are most important and have deadlines – work on these first! There may be items on your list that are important but have flexible timelines, or tasks that aren’t very important but have a pressing deadline. Sorting through your to-do list with this in mind will help you decide how and when to dedicate your time.
Revisiting your scheduled goals will help you stay on track, see which goals you’ve met, and improve your schedule and goal-setting strategies for next time.
additional strategies to manage time:
- Write a realistic to-do list. Make sure that you can complete most, if not all, of the tasks on your to-do list for a given day or week. Add a mix of simple and more involved tasks to the list—checking off even an easy item can feel good!
- Start with a difficult task. Sometimes, the hardest part about completing a task that you find difficult or intimidating is getting started. Try beginning a work session with that difficult task and spend at least 20 minutes working on it—you might find that you’re able to maintain the momentum for long enough to complete the task. Finishing a hard task early on will help you feel accomplished and minimize stress.
- Pomodoro Technique. This time management technique can increase focus and help maintain stamina during a long study session. The structure of the technique is to choose one task to work on, spend 25-30 focused minutes on that task, take a 5 minute break, and then repeat until taking a longer break after about four rounds. Avoid spending your break time on your phone or computer—your brain will have a better chance to reset if you instead go for a short walk or get a snack.
- Do something “good enough”. Aiming for perfection on each task is unrealistic. Doing something “good enough” will help you spend the appropriate amount of time on each task without sacrificing the quality of your work.
*These strategies were crowd-sourced from UMaine Assistants during a brainstorming session on the topic.