This article titled, 5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Non-Teaching Time, didn’t immediately catch my attention. However, as I skimmed the page, I noticed a photo of four identical salads sitting on a counter top. It was obviously a photo of food-prepping. I thought to myself, “I do that. I food prep.” I do it every Sunday night, not because I think it saves time, but because I try to eat healthy. Having food prepared ahead of time helps me make better and healthier food choices.

So, I decided to read the article. It is interesting, and worth considering.

The article explains that ,

Most prep periods end up being a little bit of this, a little bit of that, and by the time you’ve used the restroom, filled your water bottle, and decompressed for a second . . . wait, who are those 30 children walking in the door already? Try this instead. Look ahead at your entire week and determine which prep periods are dedicated to planning, to grading, to family contact, to student tutoring, and so on. If you do your “like items” all at once, you will get into an efficiency groove. And while you’re at it, try packing your lunches for the entire week at the same time! Don’t Kate from Denver’s lunches look amazing?

This might actually work. It might actually save time if we look ahead and “batch-prep” some of our educator tasks. Let’s try this. In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments of this post. Then, let me know how it goes!

Amanda Koonlaba is an elementary art teacher in Tupelo, MS. She is a contributor to MSEdBlog. Her views are her own and do not represent the views of any other entity.