The Secret to Less Teacher Stress? Prepping Less and Still Looking Put-Together

Let’s be real: teaching in the spring can feel like juggling flaming swords while walking a tightrope. Between testing, field trips, and summer prep, who has time to make the classroom look good too?

Here’s the good news: You can simplify your routines and still have a classroom that looks and feels put-together. Here’s how:

1. Automate Your Mornings with Daily Slides

Start each day with a consistent, visually appealing routine. Daily slides help students know exactly what to do the moment they walk in.

Time-saver tip: My May Floral Daily Slides set is editable and preloaded with cheerful seasonal visuals that feel fresh without needing daily updates.

2. Batch Your Prep

Set aside one time each week to prep for the following week. Use this time for printing, organizing materials, and setting up your slides.

Here's what this has looked like for me in the past...

• Monday - use my prep time to grade and clear out those stacks of papers that are piling up.

• Tuesday - focus on anything administrative or on my never ending to-do list. Any paperwork that I need to do, parent communication, OR if none of that applies this week, choose a corner or cabinet of my room to tidy up.

• Wednesday - midweek check in to see how the current week curriculum is going. Then plan accordingly what I will teach each day the following week.

• Thursday - Make & sort all copies for the following week.

• Friday - focus on sending out the weekly email/newsletter to my families (bonus: if you have time, choose a few students to send positive notes home to!)

3. Choose Decor That Works for You

Let your classroom decor work for you by reinforcing expectations, showcasing student work, and saving you time. Though it might not be the time of year that you want to start from scratch and completely redecorate your class, I find that the end of the year is the perfect time to assess and maybe even try adding in just one new thing as a trial run for next year.

You can shop the endless decor theme options on Teachers Pay Teachers like this Wild & Bright decor or the Blush & Blues decor & more! A complete bundle can help you see what one or two (or more) things you might be missing from your decor that can also function as management or organization (like the voice levels posters or the labels for organization!)

4. Create Systems That Help Take Things Off Your Plate

Teaching feels like a million jobs in one. But sometimes that's because we're actually trying to do it all, when we can create systems that help us not feel like we're starting from scratch every single day.

First, lean into student jobs (and even though we're nearing the end of the year, it's never to late to introduce something new! It's actually a great time to trial run if you'll like something for the following year). If you're sharpening pencils, cleaning up the floor, erasing the whiteboard, doing it ALL (on top of teaching, grading, prepping, communicating with parents, etc) it is going to feel like you're drowning. Instead, put some of those responsibilities back on the students. They usually want to help anyway!

You can also create a morning & end of the day checklist/routine that every student is responsible for! I love to use my daily slides for this as a visual (as pictured above) or you can display them in any way that works for your classroom! But having students be responsible for stacking their chair, picking up 5 pieces of trash, etc can help reduce what you need to do after they leave.

Which brings me to my last point - a closing shift. Another "system" if you will, that I put in place last year was a closing shift. Even after the students did their jobs and left, there were always just a few extra things that needed to be done. I'd charge my devices, straighten out furniture, rugs, and pillows, and write the next day's lunch choice on the board. I like to think of this as if I'm the person at a restaurant, shop, or business that's responsible for closing up and leaving the classroom the way it needs to be for the next person on shift (me again) to be successful in their job the next day! It takes me about 5 minutes each day, but helps me to ensure that things run smoothly and don't pile up!

Teaching is hard enough. With a few intentional systems and ready-to-go resources, you can save your energy for what really matters.

Looking to simplify without sacrificing style? You’ll find my favorite seasonal slides and classroom decor tools right here in my store.

Xoxo,

Lauren