Since starting Base Planners, I often get asked why I created a hard copy teacher planner in the age of digital… well… everything. The short answer: I know that they work. Early in my teaching career, I tried to manage everything digitally, and while I looked like I was keeping it all together, I was overwhelmed, stressed and constantly chasing my tail. Using a hard copy planner alongside my trusted digital tools completely changed the game for me.
If you’re on the fence about making the transition, here’s what I noticed when I made the switch.
1. Be More Organised
It’s a myth that all teachers have incredible in-built organisational skills. Most teachers I know operate on a day-to-day basis, and rely on a single organised person in the office to know when everything is happening. Here’s how using a planner can help you to be more organised:
- Create a customised and streamlined term calendar with due dates, events and deadlines
- Track class activities and homework
- Write down announcements and last-minute changes
- Keep everything in one place: student birthdays, professional learning notes, meeting minutes, and more
2. Reduce Cognitive Overload
Ahh cognitive overload. I’m yet to meet a teacher who hasn’t experienced this. It’s the feeling you get when you’re trying to juggle too many things—like planning and differentiating lessons, marking assignments, and managing student behavior—all at the same time. When you have too much on your plate, your brain gets overwhelmed, making it hard to focus, remember details, or make decisions. Sound familiar?
The best way to reduce cognitive overload is to stop relying on your brain, and instead simply write things down!! Countless studies have shown that writing information by hand improves retention, but my favourite study was conducted by Mueller and Oppenheimer in 2014. They found that taking notes by hand led to greater retention of information and also a deeper, more conceptual understanding of that information when compared to typing. I always love to trot out this study when students ask why they can’t just take a photo of the notes on the board (sigh), but I also find it helpful when I reflect on my own note-taking practices.
Use your planner to get the following things off of your mind and onto the page:
- Staff announcements and reminders
- Important event details
- Students and colleagues to catch up with throughout the day
- Incidents to follow up on
- Meetings and yard duties
- Cover lessons
3. Build Strong Habits
Now, I’m not talking about organisational habits here, because we’ve already touched on those. I’m talking about habits that are going to help you to stay on track and sane long-term. I wish I put these into place sooner, because I noticed such a difference when I used my teacher planner to:
- Prioritise daily and weekly tasks
- Chunk marking into manageable batches
- Plan your day the night before
- Prepare for busy periods and plan accordingly
4. Increase Professionalism
I hate to be the one to tell you this, but using your device in a meeting (even if you’re using it to take notes) is giving off the same vibe as students using their phones/headphones in class.
Taking notes in a hard copy planner makes you a more active listener and increases engagement in meetings, according to research. It shows that you’re attentive and involved in the conversation (Burgoon, Birk, & Pfau, 1990), and it also demonstrates respect for the speaker and message (Pennebaker & Graybeal, 2001).
How to use a planner to boost your professionalism:
- Take meeting notes on paper, not on your device
- Reduce distractions
- Track your achievements and actions - great for leaders and aspiring leaders
- Record professional learning notes for future reference
5. Reduce Over-Reliance on Digital Tools
My general approach to digital tools is that if it saves me time or personalises learning for students, I go digital. Everything else is hard-copy.
While digital tools are useful, a hard copy planner offers unique benefits:
- Reduces screen time and prevents eye strain
- Never crashes or runs out of battery
- Provides quick, easy access to dates and notes
- Can be used easily when you’re projecting your device to the board
TL;DR… Fair enough. Here’s a summary for you:
- Use a planner to stay organised and remember things better.
- Write things down to avoid stress and improve memory.
- Set up efficient systems and reduce screen time.
- Use digital tools only when they save time or personalise learning.
References:
Burgoon, J.K., Birk, T. and Pfau, M., 1990. Nonverbal communication in human interaction. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
Mueller, P.A. and Oppenheimer, D.M., 2014. The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking. Psychological Science, 25(6), pp.1159-1168.
Pennebaker, J.W. and Graybeal, A., 2001. Patterns of natural language use: Disclosure, personality, and social integration. In: J. Pennebaker, ed., Emotion, disclosure, and health. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 113-139.