🗑 40 genius teacher hacks

🤖 Book Creator’s AI Literacy Week is NOW!

Lots of us are trying to wrap our brains around AI in education. How can we prepare students for a future where AI will play such a big role?

This week, Book Creator is hosting AI Literacy Week 2025, a week-long celebration of AI education in K–12 designed to equip teachers with the tools, frameworks, and confidence to bring AI literacy to every grade level.

It’s packed full of resources, remixable Book Creator books, live webinars, and more.

On Wednesday, I’ll be part of a panel with Holly Clark, Ken Shelton, Yariza Villalba, and Alana Winnick (hosted by Book Creator’s David Hotler) at 12:30pm U.S. Eastern / 9:30am U.S. Pacific.

Want to join us? Registration is free!

💻 TECH TIP 💻

📽️ Top 6 alternatives to Microsoft Flip / Flipgrid

Flipgrid (aka Microsoft Flip) used to be one of my favorite tech tools for the classroom. It let students record videos to answer questions — and edit them — and comment and reply to each other’s videos.

Sadly, after it was acquired by Microsoft, it shut down. Lots of us are still looking for solid alternatives.

Here are six solid options worth checking out (depending on how you used Flipgrid):

1. MirrorTalk (mirrortalk.ai)

2. Gravity (usegravity.io)

3. ScreenPal (screenpal.com)

4. Padlet (padlet.com)

5. Screencastify Submit (screencastify.com)

6. Vimeo + FigJam (https://www.figma.com/vimeo-for-figma/)

Read about each one — and their pricing plans — and how they fill the Flipgrid void — in our post below.

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

💡 40 brilliant teacher hacks for the classroom

I’m always inspired when I ask readers like you for their best solutions.

That’s because our Ditch That Textbook readers are savvy educators — and they come through in a big way!

Recently, we put out a call for teacher hacks — quick, innovative solutions to issues that teachers face in their day-to-day lives.

And years ago, we hosted a Twitter chat with that same topic — and collected several of the best responses into a post.

Below, you’ll find 40 ideas we collected from educators like you. You can read the full set of teacher hacks — complete with links to extra resources — right here.

Or check out the quick summary below …

… but if you read one and think, “Hmm, what does that mean? I wonder how they do that!” … that means you should probably click the link and read the post!

PART 1: NON-TECH TEACHER HACKS

1. Name your classroom tables (like “Grace Hopper” or “Ada Lovelace”).

2. Forget the teacher tote. Check out the “teacher crate”!

3. Use breath mint cans for pushpin storage.

4. Save old lunch meat containers for classroom storage.

5. Bring back the fanny pack!

6. Or instead … try the nurse’s fanny pack.

7. Save sanitizer by wrapping a rubber band around the pumping dispenser (so it dispenses less sanitizer at a time).

8. Whiteboards: Cut microfiber cloths in half for erasers.

9. Whiteboards: Use low-cost cleaner alternatives (nail polish remover / half water half rubbing alcohol).

10. Whiteboards: Repurpose disposable masks as erasers.
    
    Go to the full post to read descriptions of each!
    

11. Whiteboards: Revive old markers with physics (a string and some spinning).

12. Whiteboards: Use old t-shirts for erasers / whiteboard holders.

13. Whiteboards: Use disposable plates as personal whiteboards.

14. Clean up glitter with … Play-Doh?!?

15. Sort students all year long with index cards.

16. Use special student name cards.

17. Pick a “focus student” for the day.

18. Display your class schedule outside your door.

19. Put a seating chart in a sheet protector.

20. Use optional questions for parents on the syllabus signature page.
    
    Go to the full post to read descriptions of each!
    

21. Store pencils in a straw holder.

22. Organize with special mailboxes and handout tables.

23. Cut up unusable worksheets into different sized papers.

24. Cut notebooks in half for short responses or exit tickets.

25. Have lots of copies of student name checklists.

26. Use IKEA spice racks as book display shelves.

27. Keep a “teacher go bag” with extras of clothes, snacks … everything.

28. Number your chairs for easy sorting.

29. Save student thank you notes.
    
    PART 2: TECHY TEACHER HACKS
    

30. “Schedule send” emails at odd times.

31. Charge your Chromebooks in a dish rack.

32. Use Wakelet to keep all of your digital stuff organized.

33. Keep a class outline document for easy reference.

34. Use a weekly planner template.

35. Organize Google Drive folders with colors and emojis.

36. Name Google Drive files consistently.

37. Use “add a description” in Google Drive files.

38. Make a Google Classroom just for videos.

39. Become a master at shortcuts.

40. Use a timer for everything.

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!