Goodbye Daily Slides, Hello The Hub

Are you someone who uses daily slides as a way to keep yourself organized but they take you forever? Are you tired of creating things that you can't re-use year after year? So was I. The Hub was my solution.

I am a big believer in teaching smarter, not harder. Daily slides are a very time consuming task for something that can't really be re-used. As teachers, our days and years look very different. I am someone who tries to invest my time creating things that will simplify things and make things easier in the future.

Instead of daily slides, I create unit slides that I can not only reference year after year but is organized by lessons so I can just scroll to the next one! Students still get the visual aspect of the slide but I don't take the time to export it into a specific daily agenda slide. If there is non-subject related messages I want to project, I use Classroom Screen.

I have found a solution that not only organized my Google Drive black hole, but makes it a one-stop-shop to find all my lessons and go-to links (something I can re-use yearly!) The Hub changed my teacher organization and you can grab my template for free!

Step 1: Download The Hub free template.

Step 2: Go through your Google Drive and get the links to various slideshows and websites that you reference often.

Step 3: Create a label in The Hub of what it is you are linking. For example, if I am linking a Science activity I would label it clearly so I know exactly what it is. If it is a PDF that has a printable included, I even make a note of which pages to print so I can help my future self out even more. An example label - Forces & Motion Lesson 4 (print pages 5-6).

Step 4: Create hyperlinks. Once I have created the label (see bolded text above) I would highlight it and create a hyperlink to that PDF or slideshow in my Google Drive by pressing Command + K if you have a Mac OR Insert - Link and then paste it in.

Step 5: Enjoy a consolidated, organized Google Drive!

When it comes to teaching, I pull up the links for the unit plans that I need each day and have them open in different tabs. Students don't notice me flipping tabs to the new lessons and I have the same visuals I would with daily slides but I've saved myself the trouble of creating daily slides that I can't re-use.

Are you interested in getting organized this year? Check out my highlight on Instagram called The Hub for a detailed explanation and don't forget to snag the free template on TPT.

This is the year we teach smarter, not harder.

Are you with me?