It is often said that we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. The person who came up with that must have been (or known) a teacher!

We are massive advocates of teachers working smarter rather than harder. 

So, let’s look at some simple ways you can work smarter during the second half of the school year.

1.Take advantage of the systems you have set up

All routines and relationships have already been established. Continue to build on them and take advantage of the fact your students know what to do and your expectations.

If things have gone off the rails a little, it is okay, we have been there many times! In this case, look at your routines and expectations with fresh eyes. You will know your students better and what they will respond to. Try something new with them.  

Check out our FREE PA of the Day badges here.

2.Goal setting

Check over any targets set in Semester 1 reports and create an opportunity for students to set new goals. Remember goals for our students don’t need to be large and wafty, often short and sharp goals are best. That is why we love to use these Growth Mindset Desk plates. 

Stay on top of SMART / achievable goals with these gaol setting desk tags. 

3.Be ready for Reports

Most reporting programs will let you export the data as a spreadsheet. Print it off and use it to track how students have progressed over the second half of the year. If you notice a student isn’t making the gains you expected, get in touch with parents and flag it before the end of the year. 

Check out our report companion here.

4.Organisation hacks for the win 

Being organised really does help you work smarter and save time. Try some of our favourite organisation hacks: 

*Setup a good morning tab (learn how to do it here) 

*Have a PD diary to keep all notes together and make it easier to log. Check it out here.

*Setup a system for your emails (we have written a blog post about what works for us, read it here). 

*Invest in a ‘sighted by’ stamp!

We hope you gained a tip or two to add to your teacher toolkit today. If you are looking for more time saving hacks, you need to check out our Teacher Time Management blog series.

We also have a FREE downloadable guide that you will love as well. Grab yours here. 

Click here to start saving time!

What to read next:

Time Management Tips for teachers

10 Time saving planning hacks

5 common mistakes made by new teachers (and how to avoid them)