It’s no secret that a lot of teachers are stressed and overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the last couple of years have seen a number of once-dedicated professionals leave the profession, and many who remain are struggling. Yet, if asked, a lot of teachers would say that their number one stressor isn’t the kids or even all the preparation. It is the micromanagement–all the additional requirements that actually get in the way of real teaching. After all, most of us got into the profession because we love working with kids and sharing our favorite subject (or subjects) with them. Unfortunately, too often we have to dedicate a significant amount of our time to relatively meaningless tasks that take time away from the most important thing–preparing and teaching great lessons. This needs to stop.

Here are five things that should be taken off of teachers’ plates.

1. Writing the objective/learning target on the board.

Admittedly, this doesn’t take that much time, but in the midst of a hectic morning, it’s just one more thing on a teacher’s never-ending to-do list. Aside from that, I’ve never seen any all-important data that proves writing the objective enhances learning. In fact, this was the “next new thing” when I was in college in the ’90s, and we’ve been doing it since. How’s that working out for us? Sure plenty of experts and curriculum companies say that this is a best practice, but it does have its detractors who argue objectives should be presented in a far more engaging way than writing them in the corner of the board and that there should also be room for students to uncover the objective as they learn so that they can experience an “aha” moment.

My theory is that writing objectives on the board became a thing, at least in part, so that admin can be up to speed during an unannounced walk-through–so they know what’s supposed to be going on.  But the fact is that if my students know the objective, it’s because of my teaching. They know what I’m teaching because I’m teaching it, and that’s the way learning should work. Everything else is just busy work.

2. Documenting EVERYTHING!

This one is tricky because students who need accommodations or modifications deserve assurance they are getting them. Documenting might seem like the best way to do this. Unfortunately, it takes an insane amount of time and might actually be preventing teachers from doing other things to help students–like coming up with new and engaging ways to present material. The alternative is to trust teachers to do what is required of them. I can give reduced choices on a test, allow for extra time to complete assignments, and offer preferential seating without detailed documentation of each instance for each child. Teachers can do their jobs without continually proving they are doing their jobs.

3. Weekly PLCs

If you work with a solid team, a good PLC meeting centered around a specific goal is invaluable. There’s no doubt that collaboration is key to educational success. But when there’s a weekly or bi-weekly meeting just so our boss can tell her boss she has checked that box, and we end up talking about nothing very useful, it is monumentally frustrating. If teachers are going to take time away from their planning period, it is essential that it is time well spent.

4. Detailed lesson plans

The question is, “Who benefits from this?” If a teacher feels that writing out detailed lesson plans, complete with standard numbers is helpful, more power to them. But most of us fall somewhere between minutia and flying by the seat of our pants. As a rule, the best format for writing lesson plans is the one that works best for the teacher. Requiring teachers to turn in detailed lesson plans that (let’s be honest) no one is reading is a colossal waste of time and benefits no one.

5. Perfunctory Professional Development

Teachers should always be open to new information and practices and sometimes a good PD can be the best way to gain new ideas. But too often, teachers find themselves scrambling to meet the required number of PD hours and ultimately end up attending a class on something they aren’t likely to use. I’m not sure what the answer is. Perhaps rather than requiring summer PD, schools could offer incentives to teachers who voluntarily attend summer sessions. Maybe teachers should have more of a say in what constitutes professional development. Whatever the answer, requiring teachers to attend hours and hours of training that does not benefit them or their students needs to stop.

No doubt some people reading this will argue that micromanagement is just the way of the world now. It’s true. Recently a doctor friend of mine confided that he is considering early retirement because of all the hoops the insurance companies require him to jump through. He feels like he can’t practice medicine and relate to patients like he should. Sound familiar? But just because other professions are subject to the same types of micromanagement as teachers are, doesn’t mean it’s okay. Instead, we need the micromanagers to listen and trust us to do our jobs.