One of the strange contradictions of the pandemic was the fact that, as educators, we suddenly had so much more time - and yet, so much less.

I no longer had to commute to work, walk to and from classrooms, attend assembly, go to the staffroom, conduct break duty or attend physical meetings. 

Yet at the same time, I was in the permanent search of new tools and paths to face challenges I had not faced before.  

I spent time thinking of new ways to motivate learners, of ways to track progress and maintain a strong online presence.

We also had to incorporate new ways of collaborating, set online rules and become familiar with the platforms courses were being delivered on - and emails that needed answering never stopped arriving.

A flash of inspiration

Keeping on top of all this was hard - until I recalled an exercise I had done with my learners on the British Council for Teens website about the Pomodoro Technique. 

The Pomodoro Technique is a popular time-management method that was first developed in the 1980s.

It takes the idea of splitting tasks into 25-minute segments followed by a short break, in order to help you maintain focus and work through a busy to-do list with structure.

The name comes from the Italian word for tomato after the inventor of the technique - Francesco Cirillo - used a kitchen timer shaped like a tomato as his personal timer.

How it worked for me

Once I recalled this technique, I set about applying it to my daily work schedule.

After my main teaching sessions and mandatory meetings, I would use the technique for every other project throughout the day. 

I started to manage my time into short increments of 25-minute “project” blocks, then a five-minute break afterwards.

This meant a day could look like the following:

• Project one was dedicated to wading through my inbox and replying to queries. Then I would take a five-minute break, in which I made tea or had water. 
• The next project was dedicated to marking and tracking progress, followed by a five-minute period of stretching. 
• The third project was dedicated to professional development and getting used to the virtual learning platform (Microsoft Teams). Then I would have a snack for my next five-minute break. 
• The last project was for planning and preparing materials for the next day and editing the scheme of work to improve pacing.

Having five classes per day across two different grade levels meant I definitely needed the wrap-up time each day. 

Then, after four projects, a longer interval such as a 30-minute break is recommended, which I would take to rest. 

See also: Learning How to Learn: The Pomodoro Technique

Creating more time through structure

Every time I finished a 25-minute pomodoro, I marked my progress with a tick, and wrote down the number of times I had an urge to procrastinate. 

Although it may seem like the day has been turned into a box- ticking exercise, it is actually far from this as when you work in short structured periods that are timed, you get into a better rhythm and flow.

Furthermore, it made me realise how much time I was spending on things that weren’t important.

In fact, at the end of my work day, I continued to use the Pomodoro Technique to do my workouts, run, prepare meals and cook.  

The outcome was that I had more leisure time and more freedom - isn’t that a balance that everyone strives for?

During uncertain times when everything was new and my working life drastically changed, I had to adjust practically, and the Pomodoro Technique proved effective.  

The regimented breaks and project structure helped to eliminate that burned-out feeling some of us feel after a busy day teaching online. 

The Pomodoro Technique can rejig the way teachers deal with their non-contact hours and even their personal lives.

Maybe it’s time you gave it a go?

Orla Carlin is an English teacher working in the UAE. She has taught internationally for seven years