Veteran Teachers' Corner: Post #2- The Journey of Curriculum Writing- The Race Against Time

 Continuing from where I left off, I'd like to share one of the biggest obstacles I (and other team members) faced this year: time. Having a limited amount of time to write the curriculum put added pressure on me to not only write well, but write well in a specified time frame of about six weeks. (Yes, I had the same reaction...) Right away I tapped into my time management skills and pulled out my schedules. I quickly reorganized other things that could wait and made this a priority. 

There is no shame in admitting I ate, slept, and breathed this curriculum for about 20 hours (and to be honest, there's still some work to be done.) I exercised my skill of multitasking to type what I could while I prepared in the classroom for other subjects, and used the "invisible labor" hours in the evening to work quietly in the evening. 

It was also about setting goals for me. I find I work more productively when I create benchmarks to finish a project and reach those goals. I fully admit I'm the one making lists and enjoying crossing off what I've accomplished along the way. I broke the seven units up into parts. I worked on Units 1-3, then 4-6, and developed the seventh separately because I was creating it from scratch. As I worked, I made sure I lightened the atmosphere around me by listening to podcasts about my favorite thing (literacy of course,) or have a webinar on in the background. Of course I always suggest to those starting out with curriculum writing to do what's best for them, as some work better with quiet, and others need background noise. 

Throughout the writing process, I provided myself screen breaks once I hit another "mini-benchmark" in the unit. For example, once I completed the standards, strategies, objectives, and skills list, I'd take a stretch break. After all, if we set up our classrooms like this, why not adopt these mindsets for our own work? This mindset, along with some positive messages of inspiration from co-workers, friends and family are what honestly helped me to keep working and keep up my energy. 

Despite the fact that time appeared to be my competition, I used time wisely enough to finish writing with time to spare. I can now comfortably go back and review before the final submission date. 

With that being said, here are some final thoughts: Keep the positive vibes going; don't let time scare you into a new adventure as an educator- your expertise is needed! Keep exercising your time-management skills, they will be your lifeline! Lastly, keep your energy going by surrounding yourself with people who support you is the best way to work through any time crunch!