I’m a Teacher and I Tried Out the Pomodoro Technique  

What is the Pomodoro Productivity Technique?

I’m always looking for ways to hone my time management at school.  Anything I get done there means more time at home to do the things I enjoy.  To that end, I recently read about and tried the Pomodoro technique.

Long established but new to me, Francesco Cirillo developed this time management strategy as a student to organize his studying.  The simple technique named after his tomato-shaped timer.  You set a timer for 25 minutes and work on one task, uninterrupted.

The psychology behind the technique is that it plays on the idea that time can be an ally and aid in productivity.  The timer commits you to that work time and helps to focus you just on the task at hand.

How The Pomodoro Time Management Strategy Works 

With even more ways to distract ourselves than ever before, this is a compelling time management tip.  The uninterrupted for short bursts of time means that there is no checking email, no scrolling social media, no clicking around on the many tabs that are always open, and no responding to a text.

First, a 25-minute work period. Then, a five-minute break before starting on another 25-minute speed round of productivity. Ideally, the cycle is repeated three or four times before a longer break of 15 to 20 minutes is taken.

You can find numerous Pomodoro timers online. There is even a Pomodoro Google extension to help you achieve your best work flow.

How Will the Pomodoro Technique Work for Teachers?

Probably like most of you, I don’t need this–or any–technique before the start of the school day.  Getting the agenda or objectives on the board, setting up the room, getting the powerpoint up–the morning prep is all consuming and often a race against the first bell.

However, sitting down to grade or revise a lesson or unit can, sometimes, be more of a challenge because the urgency is removed.  And, I could definitely be accused of inventing reasons to avoid those tasks. Checking my mailbox?  Dropping off paperwork at the main office?  All of the sudden, those tasks are of the utmost urgency.

Plus, goes the argument in my mind, there’s not a lot of time before the next period so there’s no point in even starting something substantial.  Better to take those minutes and check my favorite blog–or two.

A Change in Habits

After seeing some unproductive habits develop, I decided to make a change.  I was quick to play mind games to get myself out of work.  Maybe I could also use a mind game to get myself back into work.  The Pomodoro technique was it. Anyone can commit to a short period of uninterrupted time and then, remember, you can be done.

My big question was not whether this technique would work for me, but would it work for me doing this job?  I can see how it would be very helpful if you are working from home or even in a more traditional office.  But at a school?  With all of the interruptions–from students coming in with a question or to ask for help to colleagues popping in–would this even work?

One tip I share with newer teachers is to prioritize realistic time boundaries.  Life balance should even be a part of your career development plan. 

I tried the technique for two weeks.  Here’s what happened.

First Week Frustration

Week One:

I started with my prep period.  In a 40-minute prep, I wanted to carve out a 25-minute block of time to work on revising a lesson plan for the following week. After finding the documents I would use, I set my timer and began.  Day One: I worked uninterrupted and was pleased to get a chunk of the work done.  Day Two and Three I tried the same and was interrupted both days.

I went into Day Four frustrated and questioning whether this technique would realistically work.  Happily, I was able to use the technique both during my prep and after school (although I did adjust that from 25 minutes to 20 minutes).  Day Five, Friday, was a complete non-starter with grade-level meetings and a drop in from a student for help.

Second Week Adjustments

Week Two:

I decided to tweak the method.  Yes, I had already done so by not doing the 25-minute session, 5-minute break, 25-minute session, etc. format.  Another tweak was needed if I was going to use the Pomodoro technique consistently.

The first step was identifying what I  wanted to get out of the technique.  My purpose was to maximize my time when it came to longer-term projects. Work that isn’t required to be done now can easily be pushed aside in the day-to-day crush.  To that end, the timer was a nudge that would help me start and work for a solid chunk of time on a task.

By changing the technique to not necessarily adhere to the 25-minute rule, I could still increase my productivity time.  If I had 15 or 20 minutes, I would set the timer.  I found fewer than 15 minutes was not helpful but 15 to 25 (or 30) minutes was a great way to get work done.

During Week Two I was able to squeeze in morning time (15 minutes on two days), prep time and after-school time.  I still had to deal with interruptions but the ritual of setting the timer was a mental shift to the work that I needed to do.

The Pomodoro Technique at School?  The Verdict:

Although I was not able to use it consistently every day, I was still able to squeeze in work time for longer-term projects that I wanted to get done.

This technique also provided me with the needed nudge to start on the work.  I was able to tell myself that it was only for 15 or 20 or 25 minutes and then I could be done for the day on that task.  I was freed of the pressure to work until the task was completely done.

And often because it was uninterrupted time, I ended up finishing tasks anyway.  It was a great reminder that often the task itself does not take a long period of time once you actually get started.