We asked Instructors: About how much time do you spend weekly working on your daily classroom presentations during your off-hours? How do you balance that time with your personal life? Here are the answers:

I don't spend many off-hours on classroom presentations. I usually work through my lunch and I have one hour daily after the students leave while I’m still on the clock. I usually have a day or two between graduating a class and starting a new class. I use those days to prepare everything for the entire course. The only thing that I do during my personal life that is work-oriented is research. I love researching new techniques, products, and related materials to revise or update current information.

 Jessica Taylor, Honolulu Nail Academy, Honolulu

I spend a couple of hours per week. Most of everything I do is hands-on in the classroom. I usually work on it in the evening while my husband watches TV.

Bri McCloud, Sweetwater Institute of Cosmetology, Sweetwater, Tenn.

The time I usually spend preparing my lesson plan or daily classroom presentation comes very naturally. My daily classroom presentations are often based on ideas from the media. Recently there was a report on the ABC Evening News about bacteria and pedicure chairs. The next day my classroom presentation was a tape of the report along with complete instruction on how to clean and disinfect the pedicure tub. Although I absolutely love what I do, I never mix my school work with my personal time. After many years of teaching, I learn to separate the two situations. One helpful method of getting information to share with my class is a tape recorder, which I keep with me at all times; whenever a great idea comes to me, I tape the information and later convert it to a lesson plan. With technology like Dragon software, classroom preparation is much easier. I use all my time productively and my lesson plans take no extra time to prepare.

Royan Williams, Chicago Nail School, Blue Island, Ill.

I spend anywhere from one to five hours prepping for a class. I like to practice the techniques I will be showing as well as run through the PowerPoint and check over the AV to ensure a smooth set up. I balance teaching with my personal life due to an amazing support system with my husband as the key player.

Holly Schippers, the FingerNailFixer, CND Education Ambassador, Bussey, Iowa

I am constantly developing and preparing lessons for the classes. So the time spent is countless, because there is so much planning and developing involved in running a smooth classroom.

Sindy Mark, THE Nail Art Academy, Director/ Master Educator, Las Vegas

On an average, I spend five to eight hours a week working on my daily classroom presentation while off from work. This can vary depending on the complexity of the subject; for example, when I am teaching the Infection Control or Nail Disorders unit to my students, I like to introduce them to videos or other resources that would strongly support my presentation, making it a little bit more time consuming. I have learned to balance my personal and professional life. When I leave work, I disengage for a while to regroup my thoughts, and after a few hours I sit down with a fresh mind to start planning my presentation(s). When I am in school (in August I will return to graduate school), I manage to work on my presentations on Saturdays or even on Sundays. 

Billy Anthony Rivera, Beauty Schools of America, Miami

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