Establishing a New Work Routine

#advertisement I received compensation from Dr. Scholl’s® to write this post. All opinions are entirely my own. #CustomFitRelief #DrScholls

After moving into a new home in a new town in June, I began my new job in August. This job for the School Board of Alachua County is similar to what I was doing in my previous position for Broward Schools in that I travel between different schools and district offices daily. In my current position, I assist beginning teachers with job-embedded professional development. We decide on a focus for professional development {e.g. classroom management, student engagement, interpreting student data, etc.} and then decide how to collect data on it. Once we’ve collected data, we interpret the impact on instruction and determine the next steps. Because I have to travel often in this position and I’m always on my feet, I need to be prepared for a variety of situations and assignments daily. Here are several ways I stay organized to perform my job as Beginning Teacher Mentor Coach.

ORGANIZE SUPPLIES

When you work in multiple environments like I do {e.g. schools, district office, training centers, restaurants, etc.} it is imperative that you find an efficient way to quickly set up a workstation regardless of where you are located on a particular day. Basically, I have created a roaming office so that I can easily walk from place-to-place and feel prepared. I store all of my materials in an attache case with a handle and wheels. I store it in the trunk of my car for easy access. My ‘roaming office’ includes:

laptop computer
notepad
calendar
pens
highlighters
business cards

PLAN SNACKS + MEALS

Because I am always on-the-go, I need to plan my snacks, beverages, and meals ahead of time. I leave for work before breakfast and I return home mid-afternoon. On any given day, I may visit up to 4 different locations all across town. I like to eat healthy, so I try to prepare my snacks and lunches in advance and keep them in a cooler bag throughout the day. Snacks like dried fruit, nuts, and granola bars are great non-perishable snacks that I can store in my car when nothing else is available. I have specific restaurants I visit depending upon where I am headed that day that I know serve quality food. It’s really important that I also pack a bottle of water, and of course, coffee to wake me up in the morning.

TRACK MILEAGE

My job requires me to travel so much locally, and even regionally for conferences, so I need to track my mileage daily. I use Google maps on my computer to track my route the day before, and I transfer that information to a spreadsheet. Because I am reimbursed for my mileage, I must keep an organized record of my travels to submit monthly.

PROFESSIONAL + COMFORTABLE ATTIRE

As you can see above, I maintain a business casual appearance at all times. At minimum, I wear nice jeans, a dress shirt, a belt, and dress shoes. Sometimes I add a tie and dress slacks or even a suit jacket for more formal engagements. When you are on your feet so much walking through buildings and parking lots and struggle with physical discomfort daily, it is important to take care of your feet. I recently went to Walmart to purchase Dr. Scholl’s® Custom Fit® Orthotic Inserts.

Dr. Scholl’s® Custom Fit® Orthotics can provide immediate and all-day relief for your foot, knee, or lower back pain from being on your feet. Want to purchase Custom Fit® Orthotics at Walmart? Here’s how! First, locate the in-store Custom Fit® Kiosk. Use this locator to find a Custom Fit® Kiosk near you. The one I visited was located by the pharmacy at my Walmart. Remove your shoes and stand on the footprints.

Make sure your hands are empty and your feet are on the footprints correctly. Press start and view the instructions. Pay close attention to each prompt so that you can carefully follow the directions. The advanced FootMapping® technology in the Custom Fit® Kiosk uses over 2,000 pressure sensors to recommend orthotics for your feet.

After answering a few questions, you will be prompted to hold the black bars, stand on your left foot, then stand on your right foot. You will answer a question about your weight, and within just two minutes start-to-finish Custom Fit® Orthotics will be selected for you. Just find the package that matches the recommendation.