From Chaos to Clarity

How teachers can plan without overwhelm

Teaching Doesn’t Have to Feel Like Treading Water

I used to wake up with a pit in my stomach every Monday morning. Not because I didn’t love teaching—I did—but because my week stretched out ahead of me like an impossible obstacle course. Lesson plans, admin work, emails I’d forgotten to reply to, and a vague sense that I should probably be more organized by now.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in lesson planning and still somehow never quite ahead, you’re not alone. Teaching can feel like an endless cycle of preparing, delivering, and catching up—only to start again.

But what if lesson planning and scheduling weren’t about control or perfection, but about making space for what truly matters? That’s where psychological flexibility—the ability to adapt and refocus without getting stuck in unhelpful patterns—comes in.

And that’s what we’re exploring today.

Planning That Serves You (Not the Other Way Around)

A friend of mine, Maria, once told me, “I spend so much time preparing to teach that I barely have time to teach.” She had folders of beautifully crafted activities, color-coded grammar charts, and a growing collection of half-researched lesson ideas. But she was exhausted.

The problem wasn’t a lack of effort; it was a belief that more planning = better teaching. But that’s not always true.

1. Acceptance Over Perfection

You don’t need a perfect plan; you need a workable one. A lesson that meets students where they are and moves them forward—even if it’s not your most creative or polished one—is still a success.

If you catch yourself thinking, This lesson isn’t good enough, pause. Ask yourself, Is this thought helping me, or is it just noise? Who says, anyway? The idea here is to learn to see thoughts as thoughts, rather than absolute truths.

2. Use What Works (and Stop Reinventing the Wheel)

You don’t need to create new materials for every lesson. Tried-and-true frameworks like PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production), TTT (Test-Teach-Test), Text-Based Presentation, or Dogme allow for flexibility without endless prep. Find a structure that works for you and trust it.

3. Mindful Efficiency: Stop Over-Researching

Ever fallen down a YouTube rabbit hole looking for just the right explainer video? Or spent 45 minutes scrolling through a resource site, only to end up more confused? Over-researching feels productive, but often, it’s just a way of avoiding discomfort—uncertainty, doubt, or the fear of not being “good enough.”

Instead, set a timer. Give yourself 15 minutes to find or adapt a resource. Whatever you have at the end of that time is what you’ll use. You’d be surprised how freeing this is.

Time-Blocking and Task Batching with Self-Compassion

One of the biggest game-changers for me was learning how to batch tasks. Instead of switching between planning, grading, and admin all day long, I started grouping similar tasks together.

Take my colleague Daniel. He used to answer emails, grade assignments, and plan lessons in random order, responding to whatever felt most urgent. He ended each day feeling scattered. Then, he started using time-blocking:

Morning: Focused lesson planning (no email-checking).
Midday: Teaching and engaging with students.
Afternoon: Admin and grading.
Evening: No work after 7 p.m. (unless absolutely necessary).

His productivity didn’t just improve—his stress levels dropped.

1. Values-Based Scheduling

Instead of cramming in as much work as possible, ask yourself: What actually matters? If you value being present in the classroom, schedule before-class time to review your lesson rather than last-minute panicking.

If you value having evenings free, block out time in the afternoon to wrap up work—and stick to it.

2. Task Batching: Free Your Brain from Constant Switching

Your brain works best when it’s not constantly shifting gears. Try batching similar tasks together:

Lesson planning: Dedicate an hour to planning all lessons for the next few days.
Grading: Grade all assignments in one sitting instead of spreading them out randomly.
Emails: Set two designated times a day to check and respond, instead of refreshing your inbox every 10 minutes.

3. How to Approach Resistance

Even with the best schedule, you’ll have moments of resistance—times when you just don’t want to plan or grade. Instead of fighting it, notice the feeling:

“I don’t feel like planning right now.”
“Grading is boring.”
“I’d rather scroll through Instagram.”

Rather than pushing these thoughts away, name them, accept them, and move forward anyway. Resistance is just a feeling—it doesn’t have to dictate your actions.

Try One Small Shift Today

You don’t need to overhaul your entire planning system overnight. Instead, try one small shift:

Use a pre-made framework instead of building from scratch.
Set a 15-minute timer when researching resources.
Batch one type of task this week and notice the difference.

Planning isn’t about squeezing more in—it’s about clearing space for what truly matters: engaging, effective teaching, and a life outside of work.

One last thing—know that these changes might stir up uncomfortable emotions. You might feel guilt for not spending more time on planning, or shame when you step away from work “too early.” That’s normal. These feelings aren’t the truth—they’re echoes of old fears, external expectations, and lessons learned long before you even started teaching. Instead of trying to push them away, notice them, allow them to exist, and keep moving toward what actually matters. Managing your time well isn’t selfish—it’s what allows you to show up as the teacher (and person) you truly want to be.

These kinds of changes aren’t easy to make alone—and you shouldn’t have to. As teachers, we know that growth happens best with support, guidance, and a community that gets it. If you're ready to build sustainable teaching habits without burning out, join my Live Well Teach Well program. Let’s make these changes together. Sign up here! [Insert link]