Effective Strategies That Help Teachers Spend Less Time Planning

To some teachers, the idea that they can spend less time planning sounds like a pipe dream.

We have all seen those social media posts that promise teachers they can do it all in a prep period. However, I think we can agree that any teacher who has had a prep period can tell you that it’s impossible to get everything done.

This isn’t the fault of teachers; instead, it’s a matter of recognizing that all we have to accomplish is simply too much for a planning period or three or more!

Between planning, grading, reporting, let alone parent contact or even using the bathroom during a prep period, we all know that a couple of those things can eat up all of your time.

And if your bestie happens to be on prep at the same time and their classroom is on the way back from the bathroom, well, there goes the productivity of that prep period.

With all that said, the question remains – is there a way for teachers to spend less time planning?

Yes! This blog post is going to share all the tips you’ll need to help you manage your time so you can spend less time planning and more time on the things you want to do.

Effective Strategies That Help Teachers Spend Less Time Planning

I want to share some tried-and-true tips that can help you make the most of prep periods and spend less time planning.

I’m not promising a dream of getting it all done in a short burst, but focusing on some real strategies that can help you make the most of the limited time you have, whether that’s before, during, or after the school day.

It’s about efficiency and doing what matters most in the time we have, and doing it with purpose.

Why batching remains a constant strategy

Grouping tasks is one of the most efficient ways to accomplish more with less time. This is a fantastic option that will help you spend less time planning because it’s simple and sustainable. While there’s no magic trick to it, this can help you make your batching sessions even more effective.

The hardest part about batching is figuring out what tasks to group.

One strategy is to make a list of your regularly scheduled tasks and look for commonality between tasks. Another is to find a pesky task that can accompany one that is fun or that you enjoy completing.

For example, if sending a weekly newsletter to students’ families and inputting grades are both on your weekly task list. The commonality would be that both require computer access. The pesky task is the grade input, and the enjoyable task is the newsletter. This is one batching option.

Another approach is to streamline your focus for tasks because task-switching can be draining.

For example, rather than writing one weekly newsletter each week, batch write them for the whole year. Create a visual template using programs such as Google Slides or Canva and add in the different months, some seasonal clipart, and things you know for sure from week to week or month-to-month, such as PD Days or special events.

Another option is to be seasonal about your tasks. I look at reporting timelines and work back. One week is for batching grading, another for input of grades, another for writing learning skills comments, and so on.

If you’re looking for more tips on making report card writing easier, check out this post: Helpful Report Card Writing Tips. Or, you can spend less time planning by rethinking your grading system. Learn more here: How Standardized Feedback Can Save Time and Support Student Growth.

Some other ideas for batching that will help you spend less time planning:

Plan that set of mini-lessons for the month all in one go.
Review those exit tickets and find the resources to address the issues.
Photocopy and/or upload student lessons into your Learning Management System (e.g., Google Classroom).

And when you’re batching, when your time is done, you’re done with the task, even if it’s unfinished. Momentum is better than burnout.

If you do not finish the task, take a minute to write some jot notes about your task and progress, so picking it back up can be quicker and easier and then move on. It’s that simple.

Efficiency means making key decisions

Prioritizing is a key aspect of effectively using our time as teachers, and it helps us spend less time planning. If you have a to-do list floating around, review what items are must-dos and what can be left to another time. This means keeping an eye on your mood as well as timelines.

For example, if you have a prep just before lunch, then tackle the less desirable tasks because you will have a bit of time for yourself at lunch, to get back into a good mindset before teaching for the afternoon.

On the other hand, if you have an afternoon prep that leads to an afternoon class, do the task that will help your brain be ready for that next teaching period, e.g., marking work to hand back to them, planning future lessons for that subject or emailing families of students in that class.

To help with these decisions, categorize your to-do list into 5, 15, and 30-minute tasks. Create a list in three sections to identify the small, medium, and large tasks you need to accomplish at different times. This is an ongoing and frequently updated to-do list, and it’s a real game-changer. It helps navigate timing, tasks, and mood.

For example, a five-minute task might be to set up a couple of email templates for sending info home to students’ families. A 15-minute task might be swapping out display work on a bulletin board. And a 30-minute task could be printing and laminating or cutting parts for a new display board. Each of these things will eventually need to be accomplished, but they are not priority activities.

Just a reminder that displaying student work is enough classroom “decor”. You do not need to change out your classroom decor each month or season. If your school requires you to decorate your classroom, do it once and keep it tidy all year. Here is a list of Free Classroom Decor.

Make use of available resources

Not every lesson needs to be created from scratch by you. Maybe there’s a teacher down the hall who has an already-made lesson plan that can help, or maybe you’ll reuse materials from your own toolbox that can be quickly revised for a new lesson.

It might entail reusing materials from your own toolbox that can be quickly revised for a new lesson. For example, reuse an English lesson on Citing Sources with History students. The concept of citing ideas that aren’t your own is not exclusive to one subject.

You can also take advantage of ready-to-use resources that are available to you, which makes lesson planning easy, quick, and painless.

2 Peas and a Dog has a wide range of lesson plans that help take the stress off your shoulders when it comes to preparing for a lesson. Whether you’re looking for middle school science resources, social studies/history/geography resources, ELA resources, or even just fun activities to use in the classroom, 2 Peas and a Dog has got you covered.

Check out these links for more information:

Spend less time planning and check out these easy-to-use and ready-to-go lessons here: Teachers Pay Teachers USD or Shopify CAD.

For even more reasons why ready-made lessons are a lifesaver, check out this post: Why Ready-Made Lessons Are Perfect for Teachers.

Make Use of Long-Range Plans

If you want to spend less time planning, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The curriculum outline will let you know what students need to be taught, and having long-range plans at the ready can save you a ton of time figuring out timelines for teaching certain lessons, ideas on lesson variety, suggestions for those classes that you might not be sure how to teach, and more.

Whether you teach Grade 6, 7, or 8, or even a split-grade, 2 Peas and a Dog has long-range plans you can use if you’re teaching the Ontario Curriculum. Click the image below to grab yours.

Beware of common pitfalls

Avoid the shiny thing (at least for now).

Like a puppy on a walk who spots a squirrel, a teacher is sometimes known to go off-track with the new shiny thing. This is where the 5, 15, 30 list comes in handy. It’s not about avoiding the shiny thing, but coming back to it when other tasks are complete.

Remember, done is better than perfect.

This is a tough one, I know! But if you want to spend less time planning, it’s so very true. We are our own worst critics and can easily find our faults, but working past that is crucial.

For example, you’re writing the set of exit tickets for your students for the following week and would love it if they had nicer fonts or an image of some sort, but time is of the essence. This means the tickets are done, and while there may be some bold typeface, that’s about it. Most likely, you will be the one who notices that the fonts aren’t the prettiest or that there’s no clipart, but you’ll still have the task done and ready for your students.

Think outside the box

Spend less time planning by thinking outside the box. Find lessons and activities that will immediately engage students, that almost teach themselves, encouraging students to think creatively.

For some great ideas, check out these blog posts:

Final tidbits

Try the Pomodoro Method, which means you set a time for 25 minutes and focus on one task. After the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break to reset before tackling another round, if possible. (This is also a fantastic strategy to teach students as they learn study skills: 8 Helpful Ways to Teach Study Skills to Middle School Students.)

Be sure to make clear decisions for where your energy needs to go so you can make the most of your time and spend less time planning:

Give your best thinking to lesson planning, feedback, and supporting students.
Give ‘good enough’ to those photocopying tasks, updating bulletin boards, or redesigning handouts.
Give almost nothing to tasks that drain you but don’t meaningfully impact learning – you know the ones!

Small habits make a big difference. Tiny shifts are often most effective while you can protect your energy and keep you moving forward, too.

Effective Strategies That Help Teachers Spend Less Time Planning

Effective Strategies That Help Teachers Spend Less Time Planning

Why batching remains a constant strategy

Efficiency means making key decisions

Make use of available resources

Make Use of Long-Range Plans

Beware of common pitfalls

Think outside the box

Final tidbits

For more ideas to keep you organized and spend less time planning, check out:

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