Happy summer break to us all! I hope that you are soaking up all of the sunshine, hot coffee and travel plans! I truly love the summertime because I get to do all of my favorite things. And one of those things is finally getting to read all the books on my To Be Read List! One of the first one’s I dove into was The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi.
This book is the perfect read for goal-setters and habit people alike. I loved her easy reading vibe and devoured the book pretty quickly. Her stories are funny but impactful and felt like Kendra was right there next to me, like we were just having a coffee date.
While all of her 13 tips were applicable to my life in general, a few of those tips directly translate into the classroom. I’m sharing 3 of her tips that would turn any teacher into a Lazy Genius, for the better!
Lazy Genius Tip: Decide Once
This is the first tip in the book, and I was sold from the beginning. By deciding once, you take out the decision fatigue of so many instances. Ever had decision fatigue as a teacher?! There’s SO MANY THINGS we decide on a daily, even hourly basis it’s not even funny.
But, decide once.
What type of morning work are you going to use? Decide once and then use it all year.
Where are brand new expo markers going to go? Decide once and never change it.
There’s infinitely many ways in which to use this first tip that will save you so much time, energy, and brain space. Whether you are setting up your classroom or creating systems and routines, decide things once and for all. And be the best lazy genius teacher there is!
Ask the Magic Question
“The Magic Question, simply put, is this: What can I do now to make life easier later?”- Kendra Adachi
This question has been put to use so many ways for me this summer, but what about the school implications?
Have you ever had random 5 minutes in the morning before students come in? What could you do now that would help you later? Putting something away, erasing the date, setting out fresh pencils, honestly all 3 of those would probably take less than 5 minutes.
During lunch, I find myself setting up my morning slides for the following day. It takes maybe 5 minutes but those morning lessons are fresh in my head so I know exactly what to cover tomorrow. And by doing it now means I won’t have to do it later!
These can be small things like setting up for a future lab station, or it can be as simple as printing the master copy so you can make copies later in the day.
Those small things can add up to help with overwhelm in the afternoons. Or think about it backwards, what can you do before locking up for the night that will make the morning easier?
For me, that task is creating a to do list for the next morning. I know what I need to know right when I come in, and it helps me from trying to remember what to prioritize before I’ve even finished my coffee. That’s being the best lazy genius imo!
Lazy Genius Tip: Batch It
The moment I got to this chapter in the book, I smiled my biggest grin. I probably looked ridiculous to my fellow airplane row, but I was just so happy! This tip was something I was already doing in my teaching life!
I talked about my 7 steps to batch planning in this blog post if you want to nitty gritty details. Essentially, I plan and prep whole units at a time. So that I only have to go to the copier once, make answer keys once, and have everything ready to teach from. Sound like a dream? I promise, it’s not!
Batch prepping is once of my own 7 secrets to taking back my plan time and leaving work at work. If you want more insight into how I work smarter not harder, drop your email below and you’ll get the guide to all the best secrets!
Be Kind to Yourself
Kendra ended this book on a sweet note of remembering to be kind to yourself. Remember that we can’t do it all. There will be things we miss as teachers and it’s ok. We are ultimately all doing the best we can with what we have.
Take time to celebrate the little moments you get. Whether it is big like having a relaxing school year, or maybe it’s a little smaller like going home at your contract time (without taking something home). Celebrate your wins because they are important!
“Small steps are easy. Easy steps are sustainable. Sustainable steps keep moving. Movement, not necessarily a finish line, is the new goal.”- Kendra Adachi
More Teaching Hacks and Books I love
Want to know more about saving time and working smarter not harder? I have a few blog posts and book recommendations to share!
- Prepare Lesson Plans Faster & Better
- How To Prepare Lesson Plans Quickly
- Atomic Habits
- Teacher PD Books- 10 New Ones
- Teaching Hacks: How to Prep Once & Forget
- 25 Teacher Hacks for a Successful Classroom
I’d love to know, have you read The Lazy Genius Way? What are some ways that you work smarter not harder in the classroom?
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