Time saving hacks for teachers: working

29. Use noise cancelling headphones in a staff room

Sometimes staff rooms can be very distracting with multiple conversations going on at once. It is worth investing in some noise cancelling headphones so you can block out some of the noise. This also helps send a message to your colleagues that you are ‘in the zone’ and don’t want to be disturbed. 

30. Hang a ‘not available’ sign on your door

This is such a win and definitely deserves a spot in my time saving hacks for teachers! If you need to get some work done and don’t want students or teachers to interrupt then a sign is a great way to let them know.  If you want some super cute ones head to this link.

31. Work for productivity 

When is your most productive time of day? Is it in the morning when you first arrive at work? Don’t waste this valuable time by doing menial tasks like checking your emails. Rather, use this time to knock out your most time consuming and draining tasks such as lesson planning, grading or programming. Save the other administration type tasks to when you’re feeling less productive as they don’t take as much brain power or energy. 

32. Say no to extra things 

This is one of my tips for beginning teachers, but it is relevant here as well. If you’re finding you are struggling to balance a work / life ratio that works for you, then it is essential that you say ‘no’ to anything extra. You don’t need to be director of the debating team or dance troupe. If this is what you love then absolutely go for it! But if you’re trying to maximise your time so you can spend it with your family, then say no. 

33. Use a prioritisation to do list

If your to-do list is anything like mine it is long… really long. What I have found helpful is organising my to-do list into two categories: do now, and do later. Within that I also number my tasks from most urgent to least urgent. This helps me prioritise the right tasks at the right time and ensures I don’t accidentally miss any important deadlines. 

34. Use ‘do not disturb’ on your devices

Being so surrounded by various devices that constantly ‘ping’ with notifications can be very distracting. If you need to get some work done then I highly recommend using a ‘do not disturb’ setting on your devices so that notifications are suspended.

Best time saving hacks for teachers.

Time saving hacks for teachers: communicating

35. Make phone calls to parents 10 mins before your next class.

Ok this is a little trick I’ve learnt over the years! Sounds silly right? But it works. 

Some parents will talk your ear off for an hour if they’re given the chance. If you call them 10 minute before the bell goes for your next class then you can guarantee the call cannot go for longer than 10 minutes. 

If the bell goes and they are still talking you can easily say something like “I would love to continue this conversation but at this time I have to get to my next class. If there are more areas you would like to cover maybe we can set a face to face meeting”. 

This gets me off the phone pretty fast and in all my years of teaching I have only ever had one parent actually go through with the face to face meeting.

36. Have a script ready for when phone calls are going too long 

Similar to the above, it is a good idea to have a script ready for when parent, admin, or other teacher phone calls are taking too long. For example: ‘I feel that this conversation needs more time than I can give it right now as I need to get to class – how about we schedule a face to face meeting for…’ 

37. Use automatic responses for email 

This day and age some parents get annoyed if you don’t respond to their email within an hour. This is just not doable as a teacher in class all day! Set up your emails to send back an automated response that states that right now you are teaching but you will get back to them within X hours / days. 

It is important to specify a realistic timeframe so that you don’t feel stressed about it and so that it provides parents with realistic expectations as well. 

38. Keep a bank of comments for report writing

There is no need to reinvent the wheel every report writing season. Have a bank of report comments for various attributes ready to go and to give you inspiration. If you would prefer to purchase some, TimeSavers for Teachers has packs of report comment banks.

39. Schedule your emails

Use the ‘schedule’ function in your emails to write emails when suits you and schedule them to send at a more appropriate time. 

As a Head of Science I often found myself writing emails outside of school hours but I didn’t want my team to feel pressured to read them out of school hours too. So I would write the emails when it suited me and schedule them to send at a time I felt would suit my team better too.

40. Have a template for parent – teacher communication

If you find yourself writing the same types of emails regularly, it will save you time creating a template you can quickly copy and paste. 

For example, I often email home for students who repeatedly haven’t turned in work. Having a well scripted email template helps make this a quick and efficient method of communication. 

Just be careful to double check pronouns!

time saving hacks for teachers

Time saving hacks for teachers: classroom routines

41. Set routines in your classroom

Routine setting in your classroom can save you time during your lessons. Routines such as what to do when the lesson starts, where to leave your belongings, what to get when it’s ‘X’ time or what group to go in for different activities. For me as a science teacher, lab routines like set up and pack up expectations, and lab pairs or groups are set out from the beginning and just happen automatically. 

42. Set routines for students who miss a day of school 

While I love that some students actually care about what they missed out on, I used to get frustrated when I was trying to start a lesson but students kept asking what they had to catch up on. Now I keep a running google doc where I post my lessons and resources. This isn’t just for those who miss the lesson – it’s also to have a central place for students to access resources for each lesson and to go to for revision. 

43. Have multiple class groupings planned

Having multiple grouping set ups for your classes ready to go saves you time in planning and during class time. It might be that you have differentiated groupings based on ability, mixed groups, interest groups, groups based on specific strengths or weaknesses. 

I like to use colours and animals in my groupings so students don’t feel there is any ‘rating’ attached to their group. 

Best time saving hacks for teachers.

Time saving hacks for teachers: admin tasks

Best time saving hacks for teachers

44. Do photocopying in bulk

Depending on how far you need to go to get to the photocopier – this could save you a lot of time! It also saves you from having to stand in queue every time you need to photocopy a page.  

45. Have a routine for when you arrive at school 

Try to have a routine when you get to school so that you don’t waste time fussing when you get there. Whether it be the way you get your materials out for the day, check emails or organise printing, having a routine helps to streamline the process.

46. Use your non-term time to get ahead

Not everyone likes to work through their non-term time which is totally fine! For me, I like to spend some time getting ahead so that I can get more time back during the school term. 

It is also during non-term time that I can work with minimal interruptions and therefore can get a lot more work done in a shorter amount of time. Take or leave this one depending on what works for you but I do find it super helpful personally so still wanted to include it in my list of time saving hacks for teachers.

47. Print multiple copies of the class list to have on hand 

Whether it be that the internet is down and a paper copy needs to go to admin for roll marking, or you decide to record some observations or in class marks, it’s handy to have these on hand. 

48. Keep some non-perishable lunches in your drawer 

Oh trust me – the number of times I have left my perfectly packed lunch on the kitchen bench at home! Or just forgotten altogether. Save yourself the time and hassle of trying to find something edible at your school canteen. Keep a stack of soups, noodles and snacks in your drawer for these moments or for when you just don’t have time to think about preparing something to bring. 

49. Ask for help when you need it

There will be times when you need to ask a question or come across something you need help with. My time saving hack here is don’t wait! Don’t waste time trying to figure it all out on your own when you can just ask and get the task completed.

Time saving hacks for teachers infographic of the 5 top tips for time saving hacks for teachers.

Best time saving hacks for teachers.

Conclusion

Have you tried any of these time saving hacks for teachers?

Do you have any of your own time saving hacks for teachers to share?

Please let us know in the comments!

Best time saving hacks for teachers.