We Must Reclaim Our Time
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
I have been overwhelmed with work now that the end of the year is here. Our pace at school has been frenetic, and it’s all I can do to keep up with all that must be accomplished.
Yet this week, I promised myself I’d keep showing up—for the profession, for the work, for the vision of something better. Even after a hard week. Especially after a hard week.
So let’s talk about Time—the pillar that often gets overlooked in conversations about how to “fix” education.
Right now, most school schedules operate like a factory belt—ring the bell, move the product, next station. Kids are shuffled from class to class every 45 to 50 minutes, teachers scramble to prep, teach, grade, respond, repeat. There’s no breathing room. No deep work. No time to think, collaborate, or design with intention.
But teaching is not transactional. It’s not a conveyor belt of content delivery. It’s creative, intellectual, and deeply human work. And that work demands time.
Time to plan meaningful instruction. Not just quickly copy standards into a planner, but thoughtfully design learning experiences. To anticipate student needs, adapt materials, and think through what will make content connect.
Time to collaborate. Real collaboration—not quick check-ins or compliance-driven PLCs, but deep professional dialogue. Time to co-plan, co-reflect, co-learn.
Time to reflect. To pause after a lesson, take stock of what worked, what didn’t, and how we grow from it. Without this space, the job becomes mechanical. And we start to lose the joy, the purpose.
Our schedules need to be built around the work of teaching and learning—not the outdated industrial model we’ve inherited. Time is not a luxury; it’s a non-negotiable for meaningful education.
If we want innovation, engagement, retention—we must start by rethinking time. It’s not just about adding minutes. It’s about honoring the rhythm of real learning—for teachers and for kids.
Join the movement to transform and elevate the profession, download my The Profession Reimagined. With an outline of my four pillars, this briefing is designed to help you bring fresh and actionable ideas to the table at your school today.