According to a Pew Research study, 98% of teachers report having too much work to do. While we may not be able to return parent phone calls or cover your bus duty, we can share a few practical strategies to save time during instructional planning and classroom preparation. Whether you’re a new educator learning to manage your workload or a seasoned teacher looking to streamline your routine, these time-saving lesson planning hacks can help you reclaim valuable hours. Who knows – you might even get to enjoy lunch away from your desk!
Keep an Emergency Sub Folder Ready
Prepare a folder with three to four lessons that any substitute can implement with minimal support. These lessons should require little to no technology, be easy to understand without prior content knowledge, and include all necessary copies and materials
Consider adding notes about classroom routines, trusted student helpers, and important procedures to help substitutes navigate the day smoothly.
Use What’s Already Available
One of the most valuable lesson-planning habits is asking, “Has someone already created something I can use?”
Whether it’s a colleague’s resource, a curriculum guide, district materials, or an online resource (check out our K12 Hub!), starting with an existing resource can save significant time and energy. You can always adapt and improve it to fit your students’ needs, but having a starting point is often half the battle.
Use AI to Differentiate More Efficiently
Artificial intelligence can significantly reduce the time spent modifying lessons for diverse learners. Use AI tools to:
- Adapt assignments for multilingual learners
- Create enrichment opportunities for advanced students
- Adjust reading levels and instructional supports
- Develop accommodations aligned with student learning needs
Always review AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your instructional goals, student needs, and school/district rules. Some of our favorites include:
Encourage Student Ownership
One of the best pieces of teaching advice is: Never work harder than your students.
Build opportunities for students to take ownership of their learning through peer feedback, self-assessment, collaborative problem-solving, and classroom responsibilities. Students can help distribute materials, manage supplies, and answer routine questions, allowing you to focus on instruction.
You can also use answer keys, rubrics, self-grading quizzes, and Google Forms to help students assess their own work. These tools encourage reflection, build independence, and reduce the amount of grading you need to do.
During my 28 years in education, I have been dedicated to using notebooks and planners to document my thoughts during PD and meetings, which I transfer to a digital platform when I create artifacts. Some people choose to use digital tools to document their ideas, and that works too. Since professional development is a connected journey, you will find yourself capturing ideas related to previously explored pedagogical strategies. This is great! It shows you understand the connectedness of professional development.
Create Reusable Templates
Templates save time and create consistency. Consider developing templates for:
- Lesson plans
- Exit tickets
- Parent communication
- Rubrics
- Classroom newsletters
Check out some of our favorite Teaching Channel templates:
Start Units with Pre-Assessments
When teaching a new unit, it’s challenging to know about students’ background knowledge on or prior experience with a topic. A quick pre-assessment can help you, Identify gaps in understanding, assign review material strategically and intentionally, Focus instruction where it’s needed most. A little information on what students already know can save a great deal of instructional time later.
Establish Opening and Closing Routines
Students thrive on predictability, and so do teachers!
By creating consistent opening and closing routines, you’ll automatically have key portions of each lesson planned. Bell ringers, daily agendas, reflection prompts, and exit tickets provide structure while reducing planning demands.
Leave Notes for Your Future Self
After a lesson, take two minutes to jot down what worked, what didn’t, and where students struggled.These quick reflections become invaluable when you teach the lesson again. Instead of starting from scratch next year, you’ll already know what to adjust and improve.
Batch Your Planning
Once you’ve established a lesson structure, consider planning similar components together. For example, if every lesson includes a bell ringer, mini-lesson, discussion, and exit ticket, create all of your bell ringers for the week at once, then move on to the next component. Batching similar tasks reduces mental fatigue and can make planning more efficient.
Finding balance between your personal life and your teaching responsibilities isn’t always easy. Small changes to your planning and classroom routines can add up to meaningful time savings throughout the year.
Try one or two of these strategies and see which make the biggest difference for you. Your future self will thank you.
About the Author
Amy Szczepanski (she/her) is a Professional Learning Specialist at Teaching Channel. She holds a B.S. in both Biology and Environmental Science, a Master’s in Teaching, and has been teaching since 2014. Amy uses her experience to create highly engaging and effective content for both teachers and students. She loves all things STEM and is passionate about teacher advocacy.
Fun fact: Amy’s favorite hobby is taking long walks through New York City searching for delicious treats.
