🎓 7 Time-Saving Tips that Every Teacher Needs Right Now!

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What’s Inside This Week:

• The Big Picture: 5 Easy Ways to Save Time

• Classroom Hack: Enhance your Classroom’s Organization

• Connecting the Dots: Links to my Favorite Educational Highlights from this Week

Happy Tuesday,

We all know how demanding the school year can get, and sometimes it feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. From lesson planning to grading and everything in between, managing time efficiently is key to keeping stress levels down and productivity up.

In this week’s edition of The Thinking Cap, we’re sharing time-saving tips that will help you streamline your workflow and regain control of your day!

-Brandon

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🏆 7 Great Ways to Save Time at School Right Now

1. Batch Lesson Planning

What it is:
Set aside one block of time each week to plan out your lessons in bulk, rather than planning day by day. Organize your lessons by topic or subject, and map out the week ahead in one go. (More Info)

Why it works:
Batching reduces the time spent switching between tasks and keeps you focused. Once you’ve planned the week, you’ll spend less time scrambling and more time delivering strong lessons.

2. Use Rubrics for Faster Grading

What it is:
Create rubrics with clear criteria for grading assignments. Use them consistently across similar tasks to speed up the grading process without sacrificing quality. (More Info)

Why it works:
Rubrics not only make grading quicker but also provide students with clear feedback on their performance. It’s a win-win for saving time while improving transparency.

3. Digitize Your Classroom with Google Forms

What it is:
Use Google Forms for quizzes, surveys, and quick assessments. With automatic grading features, it’s a huge time-saver for multiple-choice and short-answer tests. (More Info)

Why it works:
This eliminates the need for manual grading and keeps everything organized in one place, so you can easily track student progress over time.

4. Automate Parent Communication

What it is:
Set up email templates or use communication tools like Remind or ClassDojo to send quick updates to parents. Automate regular messages to save time on recurring tasks like sending homework reminders or progress reports. (More Info)

Why it works:
Automating routine communication allows you to stay connected with parents without investing extra time in drafting new messages each week.

5. Delegate Classroom Tasks to Students

What it is:
Assign students classroom responsibilities like organizing supplies, handing out papers, or tidying up after activities. Create a rotating schedule to ensure all students contribute. (More Info)

Why it works:
This not only saves you time on small tasks but also teaches students responsibility and helps build a sense of community in the classroom.

6. Prioritize ‘To-Do’ Lists with the 80/20 Rule

What it is:
Apply the 80/20 rule to your daily to-do list by focusing on the top 20% of tasks that will bring 80% of the results. Prioritize the most impactful tasks first. (More Info)

Why it works:
Focusing on high-impact tasks ensures you’re making progress on what matters most, leaving you less overwhelmed by the small, less important tasks.

7. Use Graphic Organizers

What it is:
Have a consistent "Do Now" activity ready for students to complete as soon as they walk into class. This could be a short question or problem that ties into the lesson. (More Info)

Why it works:
Starting class immediately with a simple task maximizes instructional time and gives you a few extra minutes to get organized while students are engaged.

✏️ Steal this Classroom Hack:

• Post-it Classroom Pack

• Pre-sharpened Pencils

• Colorful Paper Clips

• Plastic Drawer Organizers

👍 Why I love this hack:

What I love about this desk drawer organization hack is how it keeps all of a teachers essential supplies right where they need them. The plastic organizer bins are perfect for separating pencils, Post-it notes, and colorful paperclips, so you never have to dig through a cluttered drawer to find what I need. It’s such a simple solution, but it makes a huge difference in keeping my workspace functional and stress-free.

Having an organized desk drawer not only saves me time but also adds a bit of color and fun to my day. The bright paperclips and neatly arranged supplies make it easy to stay on top of things and give me that little extra boost of motivation. It’s a small but effective way to bring some calm and order to the daily chaos of teaching!

✅ Have a classroom hack that you would like to share? Reply to this email and let me know what awesome hack you’ve created. (I can even include it in next weeks newsletter - with a shout out, of course!)

📚 Highlights from this Week:

• The Professeaur: Join the Professaur on a journey to make learning fun, engaging, and rewarding, empowering your family for educational success! (Link)

• The Daily Dose: Keep your brain fresh with from 5-minute daily brain activities! (Link)

• Mathcation: Use code 5Dollars on a Monthly Membership to get your first month for just $5! (Link)

Thank you for reading The Thinking Cap!

Please share this email if you got something out of it.

Send me a reply if you have something to share with me and I will respond to you. (Seriously, I read and respond to all my replies)