15-Minute Morning Routine for Gifted Teachers (with Free Template)

As a gifted education teacher, you know the unique challenges of juggling administrative tasks and advocating for your program. This 15-minute morning routine will help you start your day organized, focused, and making sure you fit in all of the roles you serve as a gifted teacher.

Set the Stage for Success (5 minutes)

Begin by reviewing your daily schedule and priorities. Identify potential challenges, such as a parent meeting or a complex lesson on asynchronous development. Mentally prepare for these interactions, visualizing positive outcomes and reminding yourself of your expertise in gifted education.

Organize Your Teaching Arsenal (5 minutes)

Quickly gather materials for the day's lessons, ensuring you have resources for on-the-spot differentiation. Check urgent emails, particularly those from parents of gifted students. Update your digital planner, adding any new tasks related to program advocacy or curriculum enrichment.

Differentiation & Advocacy Communication (5 minutes)

Make a goal to send one email each morning to a gen ed colleague offering your coaching or collaboration services. Use the replies to make quick notes on potential extensions for your gifted learners, such as incorporating higher-order thinking skills or independent study options.

If time permits, send one email each morning to a gifted student and his family. Use these as "check-ins" to learn about any challenges the student is facing or concerns from parents.

🌟🌟**Templates for these emails speeds up this process! See the template linked below. [Click here for Check-In Email templates to colleagues and students/parents]

If time permits, consider these quick actions to help gen ed teachers:

• Email a simple differentiation tip or resource related to the day's lessons

• Prepare a one-page handout on a gifted education strategy they can implement

• Send a link to your differentiation hub to all faculty as a reminder of available resources

• Schedule a brief check-in with a teacher who's struggling to challenge gifted students in their classroom

⌚By dedicating just a few minutes each morning to support your colleagues, you're fostering a school-wide culture that values and understands gifted education.

Remember, this routine is flexible. Adapt it to your specific needs and the unique challenges of your gifted program. With consistent practice, you'll start each day feeling confident, organized, and ready to champion your gifted students' needs.

[Download our free template checklist for the 15 minute routine for gifted teachers]

By dedicating just 15 minutes each morning to these proactive steps, gifted teachers can start their day organized, collaborative, and ready to provide engaging instruction for their students. This routine combines elements of planning, differentiation, collaboration, and self-care to set up both the teacher and students for success.

🎁Bonus:  The best time to prepare for the day is the evening before! At the end of each day, review your schedule for tomorrow (or Monday), add any to-do items to your task list, and reflect on the day.

Daily Reflection (to complete at day's end):

• What went well today?

• What could be improved?

• Ideas for tomorrow:

P.S. I have found that making time for these routines has helped me squeeze in those activities that often are missed due to time.  It also doesn't take away from the time I'm serving my students - so it's a win-win for me.