The amount of quality instructional time is one of the most powerful variables in determining student learning. Adhering to classroom schedules has not always been easy. Students, administrators, visitors and other interruptions always seem to compete with this little time given for instruction. 

Though good teachers convey to their students the importance of learning, it is in the processes of time management that they maximise learning. Since on many occasions the amount of learning time is so little, different ways have been designed to increase the amount of learning time. First, the teacher can look for ways to find additional time for instructional activities. Second, they may look for ways to increase the impact of the learning activities themselves.

It is good to remember that learning is important and all students can learn, but we must not be delusional to think that this can happen at the same time or same pace for every individual student, hence teachers need to prioritise the skills that students need and adjust schedules accordingly. As a teacher, your relevancy in the classroom should be to contribute to flexibility in classroom schedules and determining the types of activities that fit into the allocated time. 

For example, students who need extra practice on maths problems can spend more time working out practice exercises, while students who need additional practice on reading skills can work with more written pieces. Therefore we need to assign appropriate time to meet the individual instructional needs of students. A schedule must be developed so that it is flexible enough to provide the right amount of time for students who work quickly and also for those who require additional time to finish activities.

Particular care must be taken to maintain allocated time for high priority areas. Core academic skills such as reading can be scheduled earlier in the day when students’ attention is greater, with less interruptions and delays to use up time. This may vary depending on the classroom and the student. Activities such as announcements, breaks, attendance calls, natural calls, and cleaning up after activities can easily compete with instructional time, a teacher should then be able to spend time developing a plan for handling such non-instructional activities.

Starting activities quickly and on time should come in handy. This covers situations where a teacher accommodates different rates of task completion by having relevant supplementary work ready for students who finish activities early. These activities should not be busy work but should be independent work related to the individual students’ needs and skill levels.

Minimizing open ended discussions of student opinions and beliefs, if they are not the direct objective of the lesson. Students can become very skilled at avoiding the actual lesson by engaging the teacher in diverting discussions. However, the teacher should know when to break these discussions.

Discipline should be dealt with as quickly as possible in a manner which provides students the least attention possible. A teacher should avoid wasting time talking about discipline issues or derailing on them

Both student and teacher social interruptions should be eliminated since social convergences bring unscheduled discussions on personal interests such as sports and movies, during academic time. Administrators should be aware of the social integrations and allocate appropriate time within the schedule which does not interfere with priority academic areas.

Planning and organising lessons prior to meeting with students is also key in effective management of instructional time. It is inclusive of the use of complete lesson plans that align with the set objectives

In material management, handling and distribution of materials in the classroom can take a significant amount of time. So the teacher has to establish strategies for making the distribution of materials more efficient. Proper storage of frequently used materials can help in preparation of materials ahead of time. Establishing a practice procedure for handing out and picking up learning materials and student papers can be helpful. 

For example, one student from each row might be assigned to pick up materials and distribute them to the other students in the row. This causes less traffic and confusion than all students going at once to pick up materials. It also uses less time than having the teacher distribute all materials. It is important that the student be taught to follow this procedure and have ample opportunity to practice carrying it out correctly as they are part of the learning environment.

Conclusively, teachers should work with students to find ways on how  well instructional time can be best managed within the teaching learning environment.

The writer is a school-based mentor.