Teaching is a demanding profession that often leaves little time for personal life. Between lesson planning, grading, and classroom management, it can feel like there are never enough hours in the day. But don't worry, when you bring ideas from teachers together we can come up with a plan and hacks that can truly help you save time and energy!
Multipurpose Magic: Do More with Less (This is everyones favorite!)
One of the most effective ways to save time is by creating activities that serve multiple purposes. Here are a few ideas:
Review Activities that Double as Decorations: You no longer have to create review activities AND make displays all around your classroom. Instead just use an all in one! Now you might ask yourself, what activity does that? Collaborative Colorings is just one answer. These are a way for you to review any topic of your choosing (you can enter in your own questions so it fits the needs of your students) while also having your students (not you!!) create a full size bulletin board display.
Below are just a couple examples of displays you can coose from. As you can see they are perfect for each season and holiday! Click Here to check them out!
Using One Lesson to Teach Multiple Topics/Subjects: Choose an activity and explore it through science, math, language arts, and social studies. For example, you can complete a science experiment with your students, first read about it (letting your student practice reading techniques) track the data (using math concepts), write about it (using writing concepts). That is 4 different subjects all mixed in to ONE activity!
Use Open-Ended Activities: Assign projects that allow students to explore different subjects and skills. Not only does this give them the opportunity to explore and learn different topics, but also teaches them how to research on their own.
Find those Freebies Instead of Making Your Own!
The internet is a treasure trove of free resources for teachers. From lesson plans to printable materials, there's something for everyone. Here are some popular platforms to check out:
Teachers Pay Teachers: While not entirely free, many sellers offer freebies to attract new customers. When you search for a certain type of activity you can specifically look for resources that are only free.
Social Media: Let me just say there are some INCREDIBLE teachers out there, and so many of them promote their freebies on social media. If you do not have social media, then hop on some teachers email lists. I am sure they will send you a freebie every now and then! Here is just one example of another teacher seller that makes some incredible freebies! Annette from Count on Kupe- Click Here for her freebie!
Pinterest: Look for free ideas on pinterest! This is a gold mine!
My Freebies!
This is a set of 12 editable task cards (you can put your own questions in). When students answer the questions on the task cards they discover a coloring code. The coloring code then helps them color in a mystery picture! Click the title above to grab this freebie.
Time-Saving Tips and Tricks
Beyond multitasking and freebies, there are countless other ways to optimize your time:
Do it all at Once: Group similar tasks together, like making copies all at once. Trust me the more trips you make to the copier, the more time you will lose and I am not just talking about the walking back and forth haha😉.
Delegate: Involve students in classroom management tasks, or classroom jobs, and enlist the help of parent volunteers. It is not always eay asking for help, but try to remeber that students and parents WANT to help.
Classroom Jobs: I created these classroom jobs for my students, and they LOVED them!
Utilize Technology: Explore educational apps and software to streamline processes. Once you figure out how to use all the features of the technology in your classroom, it WILL make your life easier!
Say No!: Learn to say no to additional responsibilities and prioritize your workload. It is okay if you say no, do not feel obligated to do EVERYTHING.
Self-Care: Make time for relaxation and rejuvenation to prevent burnout. Make sure you are able to give enough of your energy to you class and your home. If you need to book a massage, then do it!❤️ This will help you truly stay focused and not get distracted by other teachers or things around the school.
Remember, small changes can make a big difference. By implementing these time-saving strategies, you can create a more efficient and enjoyable teaching experience. What are your favorite time-saving hacks? Share them in the comments below!
That is all for today! Happy Teaching :)
Alyssa
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