seating chart with technology

People often ask how they should configure a classroom if they have computers. If they are laptops, the answers are a little easier. This is a brief exploration into how a teacher can configure the seating chart.

Outsourcing My Job

The term "outsourcing" has such a negative connotation, but it is the best word I can use to describe what I do to save time. There are many jobs that I either hate to do or am not well-qualified to do that are a part of the regular teaching profession. So, what I have learned to do is outsource those jobs so that I can focus on teaching. I now spend more time really analyzing student work, creating lesson plans, tutoring students and participating in IMPACT projects.

The following is a list of jobs that I outsource:

Teacher's Assistants

• Edit all the videos we do
• Help maintain the website
• Take my lesson plans and convert them into the SIOP format (that the school demands
• Make phone calls

Parents

• Translate information into Spanish
• Help take the recycling to the recycling place
• Chaperone field trips

Students - In each class, I have students do the following job

• Monitor the computer equipment
• Provide technology assistance
• Collect and pass out papers
• Answer the phone and take messages

Community Members - people who I know that want to be involved

• Community Editors - they provide an extra set of eyes and offer comments to students when they publish articles
• Interviews and Guest Speakers
• Online Tutoring - They are allowed to take anonymous questions (that go into a website) and offer their feedback in their core subject. I'd like to expand this to real, face-to-face tutoring some day

Technology
Although technology is not a person, the use of GMAIL, RSS feeds, Google Docs, etc. allow me to access and organize student work whenever and wherever I want. I'm thinking of trying MOODLE as a course management system to expand upon this.
So, the question I pose is: What other things could I outsource? What are some things that you, as a teacher, outsource to free up your time?

ten time-saving ideas

1. Check e-mail at specific times of day. It's very possible to check e-mail too frequently and nickle and dime your time. Checking e-mail a only during prep or after school can help save time on tasks.
2. Sort through mail in the staff lounge. Any unnecessary papers can then go straight to the recycle can. That will not only save time, but also give you a chance to make sarcastic remarks about junk mail.
3. Have a filing system. This can include things like "goes to office" or "needs signatures" or "pass out to students." This way, you don't waste time looking through papers.
4. Don't read useless blogs on how to save time. Oops. I take that back. Continue reading.
5. Have a specific time when you do copies once a week and get the entire stack done all at once. This works best if you can come really early, stay really late or if there is a copy machine that actually works.
6. Delegate jobs to students - such as passing out papers, doing bulletin boards, etc.
7. Spend more time on preventative discipline (lesson planning, getting to know students, body language) and less time on discipline conferences with parents.
8. Instead of writing a ton of comments, use a rubric with specific comments to provide more targetted feedback.
9. Ride a bike to work. I know it sounds insane, but you can get to work, excercise and think of lesson planning ideas all in one setting. Plus, it's good for the environment and saves money on gas.
10. Type your lessons so that you can go back and modify the lessons the next year rather than having to re-write them from scratch.