Google Productivity Tips for Teachers

In today’s fast-paced educational environment, teachers often juggle lesson planning, grading, administrative duties, and ongoing communication with students and parents—all while trying to make their lessons engaging and effective. This can feel like an impossible task, but Google has a suite of productivity tools for education with features that can help streamline these tasks and free up more time for what really matters: teaching! 

In this blog, we will explore five of our favorite Google productivity tips for teachers that are easy to start doing TODAY to maximize efficiency in the classroom!

Install Google Drive for Desktop

Google Drive for Desktop bridges the gap between cloud storage and your computer’s native storage, making it easier to manage your files without relying solely on the cloud. With this integration, you can access your Drive files directly from your computer’s File Explorer, allowing you to save, organize, and open documents just like any other local file. 

Even better, you can work offline—any updates or changes you make will automatically sync once you’re back online. This seamless convenience simplifies file management and enhances productivity. To get started, follow the installation instructions at this link!

Search Images/PDFs on Google Drive

As a digital tool for teachers, Google Drive has some pretty impressive organization features, and searching PDFs and images stored in Drive is one that is often overlooked! 

In the search bar at the top of the page in Drive, you can type search terms related to the image or file that you’re looking for, and Drive will not only search Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc., but will also scan PDFs and image files to look for that text as well. This feature is particularly useful for finding scanned files you’ve uploaded but haven’t yet organized or renamed, saving you time and hassle when locating important documents. 

Transform PDFs to Docs

For teachers looking to edit and collaborate on PDF files without needing specialized software like Adobe, Google Docs offers a simple and effective solution. With just a couple of clicks, you can convert a PDF into an editable Google Doc and work on it just as you would with any other Google file. 

After uploading your PDF to Google Drive, right-click on the file, choose “Open With,” and select Google Docs. This allows you to edit, comment, and collaborate seamlessly. While the formatting may not always convert perfectly, the content remains intact, so this Google productivity tip for teachers remains handy!

Add Files to Starred

Do you have a few files you rely on daily and want quick access to without cluttering your bookmarks bar? Google Drive offers a convenient “Starred” section in the toolbar on the left, where you can easily organize and access your most important Docs, Slides, and other files. By marking files as Starred, you can quickly locate the documents you need without wasting time searching through folders. It streamlines your workflow and saves valuable time!

To mark a file as Starred, select the three dots on the right side of the file, then choose “Organize” and then “Add to starred.”

If you have the document open, you can also mark the file as Starred by selecting the star to the right of the title.

Use Q&A in Slides

As educators, we know how important engagement is to creating effective lessons! Google Slides has a built-in feature to get students to interact during lessons with an audience Q&A tool. 

With your Slides open, navigate to the Presenter view in the top right corner. This opens a pop-up for you with notes and timer tools. In that pop-up, you’ll then select Audience Tools > Start New. 

A text bar will appear across the top of your slides with a URL that your students can navigate to from their device and allows them to ask questions or respond to your prompts within your presentation. 

If you want to highlight a particular question or response, you can select “Present” under that submission, and it will display the question for all your viewers.

Takeaway

Google offers a wide range of tools and features that can help teachers streamline their day-to-day tasks, improve organization, and collaborate more effectively. These tools are designed to save time and make classroom management easier, and the best part is that they’re already integrated within your school’s Google Workspace. For teachers to stay organized and focused on engaging their students, one simple way is to take advantage of features like Starred files and Drive’s search capabilities.
If you’re ready to explore how these tools can enhance your teaching workflow, S3 Technologies is here to support you with personalized training and solutions. Contact us at help@mys3tech.com today to learn more Google productivity tips for teachers!