There are exactly two versions of me in the morning.
- Version one has coffee, opens her computer, clicks one page, and starts teaching.
- Version two is desperately searching through 87 Chrome tabs wondering where the damn music is coming from.
One of the biggest time-savers I ever created was a simple Google Slides page that acted as my teacher dashboard.
Every time I opened my Chrome browser each day, that dashboard was the very first thing I saw. Instead of digging through bookmarks of which I had (and still have) an entirely overfull Bookmarks Bar, searching Google Drive, or trying to remember which website I needed, everything was waiting for me in one place.
This simple little dashboard will save you several minutes every morning and a whole lot of frustration.
What Is a Teacher Dashboard?
Instead of sticky notes, or dozens of bookmarks, or trying to remember where everything lives, you create one page with buttons that take you exactly where you need to go.
Mine usually includes links to:
Mine usually includes links to:
- Daily lesson slides
- My lesson plans
- Google Classroom
- Student attendance
- Calendar
- School websites
- Curriculum documents
- Frequently used forms
How to Create Your Dashboard
Step 1: Open a Blank Google Slides Presentation
Create a brand-new presentation and delete any text boxes you don't need. I usually rename it to something simple like Teacher Dashboard or Daily Hub.
Step 2: Add a Table
Go to Insert → Table.I usually insert a table that's:
- 4 columns × 3 rows
Step 3: Turn Each Cell into a Button
Each table cell becomes a shortcut.You can:
- Add a title
- Insert an icon or emoji
- Change the fill color
- Use different colors to organize categories
🟦 Teaching
🟩 Planning
🟨 Communication
🟥 Resources
The goal is to make everything easy to find at a glance.
Step 4: Add Your Links
Highlight the text (or image) inside each cell.Click the Insert Link button or press Ctrl + K.
Paste the link to whatever you want that button to open.
Repeat until all your favorite resources are connected.
Step 5: Publish the Slide
This is the trick that makes everything work.Click:
- File → Share → Publish to the web
- Publish the presentation.
- Then copy the published link.
Step 6: Make It Your Homepage
Open Chrome.Go to:
- Settings → On startup
- Choose:
- Open a specific page or set of pages
- Paste the published Google Slides link.
Tips
I like to keep my dashboard simple.Instead of trying to fit every resource I own onto one page, I only include the things I use almost every day.
You could link to a folder that contains more documents, but keep your Dashboard streamlined so stuff doesn’t get lost in the sauce.
Some ideas include:
This simple Google Slides dashboard keeps everything in one place, helps me start my day faster, and honestly makes my mornings feel a little less chaotic.
- Today's lesson slides
- Weekly plans
- School email
- Calendar
- Student information system
- Classroom management platform
- Parent Contact information
- Bell schedule
- Substitute plans
- Emergency procedures
- Digital curriculum
- Favorite websites
Final Thoughts
Teachers already make so many decisions every day and the last thing you need is to spend the first ten minutes of your morning hunting for files and reopening the same websites over and over again.This simple Google Slides dashboard keeps everything in one place, helps me start my day faster, and honestly makes my mornings feel a little less chaotic.
It's one of those things that doesn't seem like much until you start using it. You'll wonder how you ever taught without it.
Try it out!
Create one now!Or use the FREE Template I’ve got for you here.
No comments