The Three Es of Teacher Time: Experiences, Effectiveness, and Endurance

When leaders make decisions about teachers’ time, and in this case our best teachers’ time, we have to consider all three Es. Let’s dig deeper.?

You must start thinking about your best teachers’ time differently than you do about everyone else on staff. As a side note, it's possible that you may not currently be asking the most ineffective people to do much at all. That causes resentment with the rest of the staff. It’s time to reflect on how much you ask of your superstars versus your backbones versus your mediocres (defined in the book). If the workload isn’t distributed properly, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s “even,” you could have a problem.

Teacher Experiences

Next time you’re about to put something on the calendar or require teachers to complete a training, think from the lens of your best teachers. Teachers’ past experiences should dictate their reality in schools when it comes to the time constraints that we place on them.

Note that we use "experiences" in the plural form. We’re not just referring to years of experience, which matters as well but not nearly as much as the talents they possess and bring with them to the job, regardless of how many years they’ve had to pack those experiences into.

Your best teachers don’t need what your new teachers need, they don’t need what your backbone teachers need, and they certainly don’t need what your mediocre teachers need. Conversely, the mediocre teachers' needs may be different than other staff members also.

Teacher Effectiveness

The second E focuses on teacher effectiveness This also has to be considered when we implement time consuming programs, procedures, and practices. If you have a teacher who is awesome at using Kagan strategies, why would we include her in this year’s Kagan professional learning series, especially if it’s a reset for new teachers and those who need to boost their usage.

We’re not saying that you should have this teacher run the series either; we’re merely reiterating that one size fits all models don’t work and that the teacher should have a say in how she learns and grows during professional learning. Then, have the gumption to reply to other teachers who ask why she’s not here for the PL in some fashion with a statement like this, “Sandy is already applying these strategies successfully. This introductory workshop doesn’t match her needs.”?

As we point out in other chapters in the book, your best teachers need things, including professional learning, tailored for them more so than your backbones and mediocres. Remember, though, that to be a superstar you have to be respected by your peers. If the best teacher would lose credibility with colleagues by not attending the professional learning or another meeting, it may save them time and cost them grief.

One way to balance this is to ask them about it. They want to fit in, and they are well aware of what level of time saved by differentiation is worth the cost of credibility. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. Nothing about investing in your best is a cookie-cutter approach. By the way, your financial advisor will tell you the same about your money. One size almost never fits all.?

Teacher Endurance

Finally, teacher endurance is a key factor in how much time they have and don’t have. Your best teachers are simply powerhouses. They can work harder, faster, and for longer periods of time. It’s one of the distinguishing factors in being a superstar teacher.

Typically, this means that they take on more responsibilities and produce better results because of their capacity to handle so much. Yet, we fall into the convenience trap of treating them the same as other teachers who aren’t at this level of skill and will, combining expertise, drive, and speed.?

However, as with all things, our biggest strengths may also be our biggest weaknesses. Our teachers who work harder, faster, and for longer periods obviously have a risk of taking on too much, assuming responsibility for too many things and can multi-task themselves into feeling overwhelmed.

Our T.I.M.E. model helps to avoid this.

The T.I.M.E. model is described in great detail in our new book, Invest In Your Best: 9 Strategies to Grow, Support, and Celebrate Your Most Valuable Teachers.