11 Time Saving Hacks for Tired Teachers

Classroom Organization and Management

No teacher has enough time. Between grading, assemblies, mentoring new teachers, and parent-teacher conferences, no one has enough time. As teachers, we have to make the most of the precious time we have. These time saving hacks are a perfect way to maximize the time you do have without carrying work home!

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Time Saving Hacks to Work Smarter

As teachers, we know the value of a spare minute. In this profession, “work smarter, not harder” is the mantra, so these three quick tips will help you make the most of every precious minute.

First, simplify the process of leaving sub plans with this free substitute teacher cover letter. Update your letter at the start of each year, and you’re good to go. Make the process even simpler by checking out the best sub plans for ELA teachers.
Similarly, streamline the process of logging parent contacts with this free parent-contact log. To keep everything simple, I’ve put together this contact log in Google Forms so all you have to do is fill in the blanks. The data is all populated to a Google Sheet, so you never lose track of papers and can share information quickly with principals and counselors.
Finally, I rely on this laminator to preserve my classroom task cards and grammar games. By laminating the cards, I expend more energy upfront but save time later. Follow these tips to organize your task cards, and you will save even more time! (If you love office supplies as much as I do, this label maker is also a great tool for saving time!)

Technology Time Saving Hacks

Using technology can be a great way to make the classroom more efficient. With these time saving hacks, teachers can pick up some precious time.

Firstly, Chrome Extensions are essential to using time wisely and efficiently! In my classroom, I use extensions for everything from ad blockers to print aids and email management. I even use Chrome Extensions like Tailwind to make Moore English easier to manage!
Secondly, a learning management system is the ultimate time saving hack for managing student assignments. I use Google Classroom, which makes it easy to reuse assignments, rubrics, and announcements from class to class and year to year.
Similarly, I also use Google to manage classroom Daily Agendas and lesson plans. With Google Slides, I’ve created this free and very simply Daily Agenda, which helps students understand their goals for the day and helps me manage absent work with ease! In addition, I use Google Sheets for my lesson plans, which makes it easy to copy lessons from year to year. More importantly, adding drop-down menus to Google Sheets saves teachers a ton of time when it comes to plugging in standards and learning targets!

Hack Classroom Management

When we’re thinking about ways to reclaim precious classroom time, we sometimes overlook classroom management. However, a few simple classroom procedures can help teachers save time and peace of mind!

First, posting the bell schedule in the classroom is a life saver! I used to spend an unreal amount of time telling students when class ended and began. Now, I just point students to the bell schedule. After they ask once or twice, they just learn to look themselves. I use sentence strips and this pocket chart to hold my bell schedule. I just update it each year as the schedule changes.
I also used to lose a lot time to managing student supplies. Students were always asking for pens, for the pencil sharpener, for scratch paper, etc. It was a total time suck. Now, I have a “May I Borrow Shelf…” stocked with all the supplies students could need. After the first few days, students just know that they can visit the “May I Borrow Shelf…” whenever they need supplies. This saves me time and empowers students!

Time Saving Grading Hacks

Apart from classroom instructional time, grading may be the place teachers spend the most time. These time saving hacks have helped me reclaim some of my precious time!

A few years ago, I began using the laundry approach to grading. With this system, I handle grading the same way I handle the laundry. When the laundry basket is full, I run the machine regardless of the day or time. That’s also how I approach grading; when there’s something to grade (especially something that will take less than an hour), I just grade it right then. I don’t let grading accumulate or pile up any more, and it has made a huge difference.

When I am grading, I use a rubric for everything! Rubrics take the guesswork out of assessment, communicate clear expectations to students, and reduce the amount of individual feedback teachers need to provide. With rubrics in Google Classroom, this process has become even simpler. Rubrics are the ultimate time saving hack for grading! Grab my favorite rubric today!

My Favorite Time Saving Hack

At the end of the day, time saving hacks are all well and good, but sometimes you don’t even have time for the hack! When that happens, I turn to Teachers Pay Teachers to fill the gaps. With TPT, teachers can find high-quality, ready-made lessons designed by experts in their fields. Some of my favorite lessons have come from TPT. Check out some of these popular resources!