Episode notes

Get ready for the new school year with Tech it up a Notch. In this first minisode, Rach and Claire share practical, realistic strategies to help teachers reset their inbox and reduce email overwhelm before the new school year begins. From decluttering to mindset shifts and smarter email habits, this episode is all about starting the year fresh and in control, without spending hours sorting your messages.

Key Points

• A clean inbox can be a powerful mental reset before the school year starts

• Archiving old emails is often more effective than trying to sort everything

• Labels and tabs can dramatically reduce clutter once you have trained your inbox to sort for you

• Knowing which email tools are available helps maintain professional boundaries and supports the “right to disconnect”

• Turning off notifications allows you to control when you engage with email

Episode notes

This holiday mini-sode introduces the Productivity Trifecta, a powerful way to streamline your work using Docs, Calendar, and Tasks. If your school uses Google Workspace, this episode will walk you through simple but game changing features that help teachers stay organised, reduce mental load, and help teams follow tasks through from start to finish.

Key Takeaways

• Using Shift + @ in Google Docs unlocks smart building blocks like meeting notes, decision logs, and email drafts.

• Meeting Notes automatically link to Calendar events, making them easy to find later.

• Tasks can be assigned directly from a Doc and sync across Google Tasks and Calendar.

• Assigned tasks update in real time and cross out in the document once completed.

• Smart chips make collaboration clearer by tagging people, dates, and files in context.

• Shared Docs can replace long email chains for planning, events, and programming.

• When collaborative tools are used together, they create a seamless workflow that saves time and reduces overwhelm.

Episode notes

In this minisode, we explore how smartwatches can act as a quiet, practical assistant in the classroom. From discreet notifications to reminders, alarms, and multi-factor authentication, a smartwatch can help reduce mental load, support time management, and keep teachers focused on teaching.

Key Takeaways

• Smartwatches allow for discreet notifications, helping teachers stay contactable without checking their phone in front of students.

• Voice assistants make it easy to set reminders and alarms on the go, supporting memory and organisation during busy school days.

• Timers and alarms are useful for lesson rotations, transitions, and medication reminders.

• Smartwatches can support multi-factor authentication, saving time when logging into school systems.

• Calendar-linked reminders and tasks help reduce the mental load of teaching.

• Additional features (health reminders, movement prompts, camera remote use) can support teacher wellbeing and workflow.

• As with any tech, it’s important to test settings outside the classroom before relying on them at school.

Episode notes

Getting organised for a new school year looks different for every teacher. In this minisode, we explore how digital planners can support your workflow and which Clare and Rachael prefer. From Calendar and Slides based daily planners to colour-coded grade books in Sheets, we talk through practical, flexible ways to plan, adapt, and stay on top of the teaching load in 2026. We also share ready-made options for teachers who want a polished planner without building one from scratch.

Key Takeaways

• Digital planners can replace, or enhance, traditional day books allowing easy collaboration and a lighter bag to carry ;)

• Slide decks work well as a daily or weekly visual planner for students and teachers, with links to lessons and resources.

• Spreadsheets are a powerful for grade books, using drop-downs, colour coding, and data validation.

• Collaboration is easier when planners and grade books live in shared platforms

• Paid Teacher sharing platforms often offer polished, low-cost digital planners you can adapt.

• The best planner is the one that fits your device, system, and professional needs.

Episode notes

Welcome to the final minisode in the "Start Smart" series. Here we are chatting about one of the more subjective parts of starting a new school year: Classroom Displays. Whether you are a 'laminating queen' or more 'minimalist and clean', we’re sharing our favourite digital tools and ‘old school’ hacks to get your room ready to go.

Key Takeaways

• Digital resource hubs provide easy access to themed lettering and visual timetables that support student routine and accessibility.

• Inclusive design is essential when decorating; ensure fonts are legible and color schemes are mindful of students or colleagues who may have varied needs.

• Curated decor bundles from online content creators offer polished, cohesive aesthetics that save teachers hours of design and formatting time.

• Student-centered displays, such as interactive door art builds a sense of belonging and ownership from the very first day of school.