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Last updated on Feb 19, 2025
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Administrative tasks are taking over your time. How can you still prepare engaging lessons?

When administrative duties overshadow lesson planning, it’s crucial to streamline tasks without compromising on engaging content. Try these strategies:

- Automate routine tasks with software tools to save precious time for creativity.

- Integrate admin work into lesson activities where possible, making it a learning experience.

- Set specific times for admin, preserving dedicated slots for developing innovative lessons.

How do you balance administrative tasks with lesson preparation? Share your strategies.

Teaching Teaching

Teaching

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Last updated on Feb 19, 2025
  1. All
  2. Education
  3. Teaching

Administrative tasks are taking over your time. How can you still prepare engaging lessons?

When administrative duties overshadow lesson planning, it’s crucial to streamline tasks without compromising on engaging content. Try these strategies:

- Automate routine tasks with software tools to save precious time for creativity.

- Integrate admin work into lesson activities where possible, making it a learning experience.

- Set specific times for admin, preserving dedicated slots for developing innovative lessons.

How do you balance administrative tasks with lesson preparation? Share your strategies.

Add your perspective
Help others by sharing more (125 characters min.)
287 answers
  • Contributor profile photo
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    Alexia Wong

    Tuition teacher. Earned Community Top Voice Badge in Teaching in '23 and Community Top Voice Badge in Cybersecurity in '24.

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    To still prepare engaging lessons, you need to first set a schedule for yourself. This is so that you can plan how much time to allocate for your administrative tasks and your lessons. You should also delegate certain unimportant administrative tasks to your aides. This is so that you would be able to concentrate on the lessons. You should also use any spare time you have to do your administrative tasks. This can be done during times when your students are carrying out group activities.

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    25
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    Mohit Agarwal

    ACCA | CMA US | PGDM (Finance) | B.Com | Mentor for Oxford Brookes BSc in Applied Accounting | Financial Reporting & Management Expert

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    Discipline is key to balancing admin work and lesson prep. I fix dedicated time slots, diversify tasks to avoid burnout, and allocate priorities smartly. Automation saves time, and taking team support when needed ensures efficiency. Staying structured helps me focus on delivering engaging lessons without distractions.

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    16
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    Dr Smrita Jain

    PhD, MBA, PGDBM, M.Com

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    One helpful strategy is set aside specific hours just for preparing your lecture, making sure you're not interrupted. To save time, you can delegate some administrative tasks, like responding to emails. You can work with others using tools like Google Docs, which help keep everything organized. Breaking your lecture preparation into smaller tasks and using technology, like quizzes or videos, can make your lectures more fun and save your time. Keeping a to-do list or calendar helps you prioritize your tasks, so you can focus on what's most important. Lastly, adding group activities or discussions in your lectures can keep students engaged and make the lecture more interesting.

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    Tesfaye Sisay Tessema

    Professor of Health Biotechnology, Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University

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    This is an important question. Prioritizing tasks on daily and weekly basis is very important. some administrative tasks may not be pressing though time taking whereas lessons have fixed schedules and important. Within the available time allocating time block only for lessons is also one strategy. Spending extra time in the day for lessons happens many times on my side specially when I handle a course for the first time. But, for someone who has handled a course for years, lesson preparation mainly focuses on updating lecture based on current literature, depending on the subject matter. In a highly dynamic subject one can be overwhelmed by a new body of knowledge, where one has to be very selective visa vis the scope of the course.

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    Olamilekan Olorunyemi

    Educator | Instructional Designer | Learning and Development Professional | Business Consultant and Strategist | Writer | Public Speaker

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    The following are some of the strategies I deploy in a bid to balance administrative tasks with lesson preparation. 1. I always write and categorize every activity I have scheduled for the day. 2. I allot time to the different activities. 3. I always priotize activities based on their value and importance to the assignment at hand. 4. As much as I can, I invest in tools and software that allow me automate and delegate the tasks that can be automated or delegated. I believe effective time management and planning would help bring about a balance.

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    8
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    Saad EL KOSTALI

    Projects management | Scrum | Agile Master | KANBAN | Lean | PmBok | ISO 9001 lead auditor

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    Jongler entre les tâches administratives et la préparation des leçons peut s'avérer difficile, mais plusieurs astuces peuvent aider à améliorer la gestion du temps et l’efficacité. Il est conseillé d'utiliser un planning et des agendas numériques pour structurer la semaine. L'automatisation, via des outils comme Trello ou Asana et des modèles de cours en ligne, permet également de gagner du temps. La collaboration avec des collègues, par l'échange de ressources et l'observation des pratiques d'autres enseignants, contribue à enrichir les compétences pédagogiques. Enfin, adopter la méthode Pomodoro pour organiser des moments de concentration aide à réduire les distractions.

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    Muhammad Musab Mumtaz

    Program Manager | Project Manager | Electrical Engineer | Project Planning | Lecturer | Supply Chain Management

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    As a program manager for MS programs, I juggle administrative tasks and lectures, but my project management background helps me stay organized. I use visual graphs, Gantt charts, and project management tools to plan effectively. Time-blocking ensures lesson preparation remains a priority. I streamline content development with templates and reuse materials for efficiency. Interactive teaching methods, like visual aids and real-world scenarios, keep lessons engaging. Delegating tasks and automating processes free up time. By applying project management strategies, I balance responsibilities while maintaining high-quality teaching.

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    7
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    Nebojsha Antic 🌟

    Senior Data Analyst & TL @Valtech | Instructor @SMX Academy 🌐Certified Google Professional Cloud Architect & Data Engineer | Microsoft AI Engineer, Fabric Data & Analytics Engineer, Azure Administrator, Data Scientist

    • Report contribution

    🛠Automate repetitive admin tasks using software tools. 📅Block dedicated time slots for lesson planning to avoid interruptions. 🔄Integrate admin tasks into learning activities when possible. 🚀Use templates for reports, grading, and lesson structures to save time. 🤝Delegate non-essential tasks to support staff or students if applicable. 🔍Prioritize high-impact teaching activities over excessive paperwork. 📊Leverage data dashboards to track progress without manual reporting. 🎯Focus on efficiency—streamline, automate, and optimize workflows.

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    Sanusi Saraki
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    Balancing admin tasks and lesson planning requires efficiency. Here are additional strategies: 1. Batch Similar Tasks – Group admin work (grading, emails) into dedicated blocks to improve focus. 2. Delegate When Possible – Utilize student helpers or teaching assistants for basic admin tasks. 3. Use Templates & Resources – Save time with lesson templates and pre-made resources. 4. Prioritize & Set Boundaries – Focus on high-impact activities and avoid unnecessary paperwork. By streamlining admin duties, educators can devote more energy to creating engaging, impactful lessons. How do you manage this balance?

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    6
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    Nobahle Fakude

    Client Centric | Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management and Economics | Educator : Senior and FET phase| TEFL | RE5

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    To prepare engaging lessons while managing administrative tasks, prioritize and delegate tasks, batch similar ones, and schedule dedicated time for lesson planning. Utilize existing resources, create a reusable lesson plan template, and focus on key learning objectives to optimize planning. Incorporate student-centered activities, technology, and real-world connections to enhance engagement. Collaborate with colleagues to share resources, seek support from administrators, and join online teaching communities to gain inspiration and ideas. By implementing these strategies, you can minimize the impact of administrative tasks and create engaging lessons for your students.

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