Save time on school year preparations with free templates for teachers

At the time I am writing this, the upcoming school year will be my 10th year teaching, and the apps and websites available for teachers to use have certainly evolved during that time.

There are well known resources like Microsoft Word or Google docs and sheets, for example. Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) is another favorite resource of mine that lets educators share what they have created for other teachers to use.

Recently, I was introduced to Canva, an online design tool that provides easy-to-use templates to create worksheets, flyers and more. And it is free to use! When signing up for a Canva account, you just need to get verified as a teacher, and you will have access to a plethora of templates and resources, each one making your everyday life easier and more visually pleasing.

Here are a five ways I use templates as a teacher in my 3rd grade classroom to cut planning and prep time.

1. Flyers. If you have a classroom theme, you can theme any flyers you want to make! Canva, for example, has ready-to-use templates for flyers that can be personalized to fit your needs in the classroom. The flyers can then be printed or shared online. The possibilities are endless.

2. Worksheets. Instead of making a worksheet from scratch, I use templates to save time, and this is my favorite part of Canva. In the search bar, you can search for the type of worksheet you are looking for, and oftentimes there will already be one created. If it is not quite what you had in mind, you can edit it easily. However, if there is not a worksheet that fits what you are looking for, you can create one from scratch. Look for tools and premade graphics that can assist you in this.

3. Slideshows. The ability to create and feature slideshows has greatly improved over the years, and there is a whole world of slideshow templates with themes and graphics online. They are especially fun to use for Open House, having them go with your classroom decor, theme or time of year.

4. Bulletin boards. It is easier than ever to display different bulletins throughout the school year. Instead of purchasing graphics online for classroom bulletin boards, consider creating your own. Select the font of your choice, colors, images, etc.

5. Posters/ anchor charts. Have you ever found yourself wanting a specific poster without the time to create an anchor chart? I discovered I could make this happen in a few minutes in Canva when I searched by general theme, and then tailored the template to what I was looking for.

What are some other ways you see yourself incorporating templates and resources into your learning environment this school year? Let us know at Arizona PBS KIDS on Facebook.

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About the author

Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (6) and Logan (4). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent the past nine years educating third grade with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.