I cannot recommend daily or weekly slides enough!! 💻They’ve made such a BIG difference in my classroom.
Teachers—If you use daily/weekly slides, I’d LOVE to know how you like using them in your classroom! Please feel free to share in the comments.
When I started using them, here’s what I noticed:
1. The kids knew exactly what to expect.
As soon as they walked in, they saw the agenda slide. Once the bell rang, I’d click to the warm up slide. That simple routine helped set the tone and made everything feel more structured. It also was a clear indicator that class was started & we were ready to rock and roll.
2. I felt way more prepared for each day.
Yes, making slides takes time, and that’s the number one complaint that teachers have with them. Butttttt honestly, that’s when I was doing the real planning. Building the slides helped me get familiar with the content and visualize how the lesson would actually flow. I truly felt prepared to teach each lesson because I had taken the time to put together the slides for the day. I also think this was why I was never nervous or scared for a pop in observation. I KNEW I had a solid lesson and that everything was ready to go for the class period.
3. My timing got sooooo much better.
I use the slides to map out the whole class period. If I had 50 minute class periods, I planned for 50 minutes. I even embed timers to give students the proper wait/think time. I used to rush through lessons, and I would end up with extra time at the end of class. Now, I’m more intentional with how we use every part of the class. Also, if a lesson takes longer than expected or they need a little more time, it’s super easy to shuffle the slides around or move them to the next day. It’s really just a loose outline, and it’s okay to adjust them throughout the week as needed. I’m always tweaking my slides :)
4. Everything is in one spot.
I embed textbook screenshots, handouts, timers, YouTube videos, links to websites, etc into my slides. I put anything and everything I’ll need for that day/lesson into the slides so it’s in one place. No more clicking around or searching mid-lesson while students get distracted. The slides keep everyone on track and helps me to stay in control. Trust me, the worst thing is when you want to try and pull up another resource (a website or video) and you can’t find the link to do it…and that will be the second that the principal walks in for an observation…ha. It really is so nice having everything all in one place!
I could talk about the benefits of using slides all day long. I know every teacher has their own style, but I definitely suggest giving them a try! And don’t worry about making them look “perfect”. If I have slides from past years or if I get lessons from other teachers on my team, I just copy and paste them into my slides. (That’s why I don’t share my actual slides with y’all—they have materials and resources from everywhere & that would be a major copyright violation). Hopefully, you can picture what I mean when I say that you can use these templates and plug in your own lessons/materials.
**I did share this video last year, and I no longer offer access to my entire drive. If you would like access to my weekly slides, I do have those available! They are combined with all my back to school resources, so you can get my back to school resources + all my weekly slides templates to use with your students! 💛 #teachersoftiktok #newteachertip #backtoschool #weeklyslides #middleschoolteacher
From my own experience, incorporating daily and weekly slides into my classroom routine has been a game-changer in many unexpected ways. One significant advantage I found is the reduction in classroom chaos at the start of each lesson. Having a clear agenda visible as students enter creates an immediate sense of structure and expectation, which helps students transition smoothly into learning mode. This simple step alone saved me considerable time and effort managing student readiness. Another valuable insight is how slides improve my lesson pacing. I embed timers within my slides, giving students clear signals for how long activities or discussions should last. This meant no more rushing through lessons or having unproductive downtime at the end of class. The ability to adjust the timing quickly by rearranging slides also gives me the flexibility to handle days when lessons run longer or shorter than planned. This adaptability has decreased my stress and helped me maintain a better classroom rhythm. Organizing resources is often a challenge in busy teaching environments. I found that embedding everything from textbook excerpts to YouTube videos directly in the slides is incredibly efficient. It keeps all materials consolidated and easy to access, preventing the wasted time normally spent searching for files mid-lesson. This method also reduces distractions for students and keeps me focused and confident, especially during surprise observations. Of course, preparing detailed slides does require upfront effort, which is often discouraging for teachers new to this approach. However, the planning that goes into assembling slides actually deepens my understanding of lesson content and flow. It also builds my confidence on teaching days since I know exactly what to present and when. Plus, since I reuse and adapt slides from previous years or colleagues (making sure to avoid copyright issues), the workload decreases over time. Overall, integrating daily/weekly slides is both a time investment and an organizational tool that pays off with smoother, more engaged classroom experiences. For anyone hesitant about making slides 'perfect,' remember that functionality matters more than aesthetics. Even basic slides that keep your agenda, resources, and timing aligned can dramatically improve your teaching efficiency and student success. If you haven’t tried this strategy yet, I encourage you to experiment with it and see the benefits firsthand.