Protecting Teacher Time for Enhanced Instruction and Learning

 

1. Teachers are Called to Teach

As teachers, we pour our hearts and minds into creating engaging lessons, building relationships with our students, and ensuring that every learner has the support they need. However, with growing responsibilities such as meeting individualized education plans (IEPs), providing language support, managing classroom behaviors, and juggling an increasing workload of documentation, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. This blog post explores the importance of systematic support in schools so that teachers can focus on the core reason they became educators in the first place: teaching students.


2. Maslow’s Before Bloom’s

One crucial reminder in education is that students’ basic needs must be met before they can truly engage in higher-level thinking or learning. This is especially true in a majority-minority school setting where many students face real fears, trauma, and instability—whether they are refugees fearing possible deportation or young people dealing with the stress of global events. Before we can dive into rigorous instruction, we have to address their emotional and physiological well-being.

A key part of addressing these basic needs is ensuring consistent access to nutritious meals. Currently, the free and reduced lunch program is under scrutiny at the federal level, and potential changes could create food scarcity for many students living in poverty. If a child is hungry, worried about where their next meal will come from, or navigating a cafeteria system that doesn’t meet their dietary needs, it’s nearly impossible for them to engage in meaningful learning. Protecting and expanding food security programs is therefore a critical component of meeting Maslow’s foundational needs.

3. Shifts Toward Inclusion and the Need for Systemic Support

Educational reform has been moving toward more inclusive practices, especially for special education students and multilingual learners (MLLs). While inclusion is a positive step in theory, the reality for many teachers is that they receive little to no formal training on how to accommodate a range of needs—yet they’re still responsible for implementing legally binding paperwork and modifications. Without clear, schoolwide systems and supports, each teacher is left reinventing processes like finding a location for extended testing or making sure notes are available to students who need them.

4. Streamlined Accommodations and Modifications

A well-structured school environment should have clear steps in place for meeting accommodations:

  • Extended Testing: Where do students go? Who arranges this? Ideally, students should know the procedure from day one, rather than teachers having to coordinate details every time.
  • Classroom Notes: Whether these notes are digital or physical, there should be a shared system so that teachers aren’t chasing students around to deliver materials.
  • Preferred Seating: When it’s recommended in an IEP or for language learners, what does that look like in your school? Is there a plan that all staff understand and implement consistently?

When these processes are streamlined, teachers spend less time on paperwork and logistics, and more time on actual instruction.

5. Universal Strategies for Language Learners

Many strategies that help multilingual learners also benefit all students. Think about providing visuals, gesturing while talking, using manipulatives, or integrating technology to illustrate your points. One coach once asked, “Can your students still learn in your classroom if the volume was on mute?” This question pushes us to incorporate non-verbal aids that reinforce learning. The more we can embed these universal strategies, the easier it is for all students—including those with language barriers—to succeed.

Additionally, consider how your school system supports learners in maintaining a connection with their heritage language. For instance, providing bilingual resources, collaborating with community liaisons, or offering after-school clubs can help preserve linguistic and cultural ties. In STEM subjects especially, allowing students to access material in their heritage language—whether through translated resources, bilingual glossaries, or peer support—can deepen comprehension. By making STEM content available in multiple languages, students don’t have to sacrifice understanding complex concepts while they’re still developing English proficiency.

6. Classroom Management and Systems of Support

Post-COVID, behaviors such as phone use, tardiness, and frequent bathroom breaks have become even more challenging. This is where schoolwide discipline systems and routines are crucial:

  • Phone Lockboxes: If students are required to place phones in a lockbox, the entire staff needs to be on board. Consistency and a clear rationale for why phones are removed can significantly improve engagement and reduce distractions.
  • Bathroom Passes and Breaks: Allowing breaks without derailing class can be tricky. What is your school’s simple, universal system for leaving and returning to class? If it’s clearly outlined and consistently enforced, there’s less wasted teaching time.
  • Tier 2 and Tier 3 Discipline: For more serious or repeated infractions (e.g., consistent tardiness, disruptive behaviors), there should be known consequences and a predictable sequence of actions. Teachers shouldn’t have to handle every case individually with no guidance.

When classroom management systems are predictable, both teachers and students know what to expect, and teaching can continue without constant disruptions.

7. Protecting Teacher Time: Lesson Planning and Grading

A critical element of teacher support is ensuring that the requirements for lesson planning and grading are realistic and not overly burdensome. Quality planning and assessment are crucial, but if schools demand overly detailed lesson plans or complicated grading systems, it can eat away at the time teachers have to invest in meaningful instruction.

A mentor once gave me advice that has shaped my teaching career: “You’re paid to teach students, not to grade them.” While assessment is important, it should never overshadow actual teaching. When teachers spend too much energy on paperwork, they have less left to invest in day-to-day interactions and education of students—the real heart of the profession.

8. True Educational Reform Is Better Instruction

True educational reform means looking beyond just policies and toward creating effective support systems. When a district or school has streamlined processes—for accommodations, discipline, language support, and grading—they free teachers to focus on what matters most: inspiring and educating students. Let’s protect the time and energy of our educators by minimizing tasks that do not directly enhance student learning. With the right systems in place, teachers can work their magic, fostering excitement and engagement in the classroom—and that’s when true learning happens.

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