If you’ve ever woken up with that tightness in your chest—the kind that comes from knowing you’re already behind before the day even starts—you’re not alone.

If you’ve ever sat in your car between schools, staring at your inbox with one hand on your steering wheel and the other clutching a granola bar for lunch—this post is for you.

For years, I worked 12-hour days, drowning in IEPs, progress notes, and travel schedules. Twice I left the field, burned out. Twice I came back, because these kids—the deaf and hard of hearing students we serve—have touched me in ways that I can't walk away from.

However, in order for me to sustain - dare I say even flourish - I needed to figure out some hacks to be able to keep up.  To do this, I needed to step out of the field of education and consult with other people who have immense responsibilities and oversee a hundred different projects/people to see how "they" did it.  I connected with CEO's, efficiency coaches, business owners and even successful homeschooling parents with lots of children (true story) to learn their secrets to keeping track of so many different things, while keeping a decent work/life balance. From them I learned some trade secrets.  Armed with new strategies, I was able to step back into Deaf Education and continue working with the children that I loved, moving from surviving my job to thriving in it. 

With these techniques, I could breathe.  I felt like energized when I finished my day instead of sucked dry.  I could be home and spend time with my family - even make dinner and enjoy the evening with them without my laptop next time simultaneously answering emails.  I'm not kidding you when I say these hacks were life changing.

In this post, I'm going to share with you the exact hacks that changed everything. They’re not fancy. They’re not fluffy. But they’re the reason I can end my day without feeling like I’ve failed someone. These are the same systems I now teach inside The Professional Academy, and they’ve helped hundreds of itinerants reclaim hours back every week.

5 Time-Saving Hacks Every Itinerant Teacher Needs to Breathe Again

1. Break Up with Your Paper Planner

I used to be a planner addict. I searched every year for “the perfect one,” and I still have a closet full of old ones. But I had to let go. Transitioning from paper to a digital calendar—Google Calendar in my case—changed everything.

Now, I organize student sessions, IEP due dates, reminders, and even lesson plans all in one place. Inside my calendar, in the "details" section, each student session includes:

• IEP goals and audiograms (uploaded as attachments)

• Contact info for teachers and parents

• Lesson plan links directly from my Online Itinerant library

• Data collection forms linked directly from my google drive

It’s my command center. If I need student info, it's easy to find. 

2. Automate Your Reminders

Google Calendar allows you to set up custom notifications for yourself and others.  I put information in the description box such as "[Student Initials]'s IEP is coming up!  Make sure you complete [ADD LINK TO DOC OR FORM] by [ADD YOUR DUE DATE].  Thank you!"   Then from the notification section on my calendar event, I schedule automatic email reminder reminders:

• Three weeks before  
• One week before
• One day before

Pro tip: Schedule a notification for yourself for eight weeks, six weeks and one month before each annual review is due.  Inside the guests section, include the case manager, the audiologist, the SLP, and the LEA.  In the description box, say something like "Reminder that [Student's Initials] IEP is due.  Please don't forget to invite the DHH teacher and the Audiologist as legally we need to be there." That simple reminder helps you stay aware of upcoming IEPs and automatically reminds others that you need to be invited to the meeting.  

These little automations mean I no longer chase down data or people. I set up the event a year in advance and schedule my own reminders.  The people who need it get a reminder to invite me to the meeting. No more "this one snuck up on me" experiences.

3. Combine Lesson Planning and Data Collection

When I visit a student, I can pull up everything I need from my phone (though my calendar) as I walk down the hall: IEP goals, lesson activities, and data forms. I use Google Forms for data collection, linked right inside the calendar event.  I always review these things as I'm headed to a student, keeping my mind fresh on what we're working on.

During each session I try to fill out my data collection info, but if I can't do it during the lesson, I fill it out on my phone before I even leave the building. The data automatically funnels into a spreadsheet that tracks growth and generates graphs—perfect for IEP meetings or parent updates.

This Google Form (or Google Doc) is inside my calendar. If I've included others in my calendar event and privacy is a concern, I simply duplicate the event—one for my full notes (private) and one public version with basic info teachers and parents can see.

4. Make In-Servicing Part of Your Student Session

In-servicing doesn’t have to add hours to your schedule. At the end of a relevant DHH session, I do a comprehension check with my student by doing a short Q & A session or interview with them on the topic.  I make a video of this and then use it to create an easy teacher inservice.  For example, if we've just done a lesson on how to maximize the use of, or troubleshoot, their personal mic, together we make a video using Loom to record quick, personalized tutorial for their teacher.

Through this technique, I create short videos with my students on topics such as: how to check hearing technology or troubleshoot DM systems, best seating arrangements, most challenging listening situations, "what works" or whatever we need to make sure the teacher knows.  I'll even arrange my DHH session around what inservicing topic I need.  I'll usually interview the student on whatever our topic is to help guide the conversation.  Not only does this hack save you time, but it also:

• Tests student's comprehension of the topic
• Helps them learn to articulate their needs
• Personalizes the information for the teacher (it's no longer coming from you, but from the student themselves)
• Empowers students to be their own voice
• Empowers teachers to talk directly to students about their needs instead of waiting to talk to you

A few more great things about using Loom:

• It tells me when the video has been watched and how many times it's been watched
• It saves the video in a video library, so I can resend the video to new teachers any time
• It allows a place for teachers to comment and praise the student for the awesome information they just shared

This little hack makes it more about the student and less about me. It's built into my normal scheduled DHH time with my student, so it's not an exaggeration to say that this little hack literally saves me hours upon hours every year.

5. Write IEPs With Students, Not For Them

"Stop letting them talk about you. Start letting them talk to you."

That’s what one of our panelists from Lessons From the Mainstream, Lakisha Stanley, tells her students—and it’s stuck with me ever since.

When writing present levels or accommodations, I now sit beside my students.

I ask:

“What’s gotten easier for you this year?”

“What do you wish your teachers knew?”

"What are your most challenging listening situations?"

"What works best to give you access?"

I literally write the info into the paperwork right there with them during our DHH session.  We talk about where I'm adding into the paperwork and why it's important.  I even invite them to talk about it at their meeting instead of me talking about them.  While this might be slow going at first, they get better and better at it each year.  It increases their voice and buy-in within the IEP process.  It cuts down on my paperwork later because I've completed the info in the moment.

As a side note, for students who are resistant to using devices or having DHH services, it's a great opportunity to discuss their needs and how we know them.  This discussion allows you opportunity to partner with them and discuss different or creative ways to support them that they can feel good about.  Also, if they are resistant, together, we draft up a paragraph about their feelings and add it to the IEP.  For example, if they are resisting their personal mic, together we'll draft up a sentence like,"[Student] prefers not to wear the personal mic in class because...... [add info from discussion] however data shows it has great benefit.  Creating opportunities to work together with [the student] to identify a strategic way for the mic to be used is helpful in supporting the students emotional needs while creating the access they need to the curriculum". Adding a sentence like this to the IEP lets the student know their voice has been heard and it counts (without dismissing the use of important technology!).

You’re not only collecting authentic input—you’re teaching them to own their education. 

6. Stop Lesson Planning

Yes, you heard that right—stop lesson planning.

For years, I poured hours into creating individualized lessons, scouring the internet and Teachers Pay Teachers for materials. That's why I created the Professional Academy Toolbox - so that everything I need would be in a single spot - easy for me (and you) to access. 

Now, instead of starting from scratch, I simply open the toolbox and choose from the ready-to-use materials that are already aligned with IEP goals and language outcomes. If I’m not sure what I’m looking for, I’ll even explore it with my student during the session.

We scroll through the toolbox together, looking at visuals, games, and practice activities, and I ask guiding questions like:

• “Does this look like something that we're working on?”

• “Does this seem like something you could use some practice with?”

• “Is this too easy or just right?”

It’s a simple shift that teaches students to recognize what applies to them—and why. It builds self-awareness, metacognition, and ownership, all while saving me hours every week.

By using the toolbox as our shared resource, lesson planning becomes obsolete. Everything I need is right there—organized, searchable, and field-tested by teachers who get it.

So instead of spending your Sunday afternoons trying to plan, start your week by opening your toolbox and choosing the next best thing already waiting for you.

Wrapping It All Up

If you’re tired of spinning plates, or if you’re longing for a little more breathing room in your day—I want you to hear this clearly: you are not the problem. The role is unique. The demands are constant. And nobody hands itinerants a roadmap for managing it all.

But you can build a system that lets you breathe again. You can serve your students well and have a life outside of school. You can end your day energized instead of exhausted. These hacks didn’t just make my workload manageable—they made my career sustainable. They allowed me to flourish in a job I once thought might break me. And I want that for you too.

Everything I shared here—the calendar techniques, automated reminders, in-session inservicing, student-led IEP work, and the magic of eliminating lesson planning altogether—these are the tools that gave me back hours every single week. They’re the same systems I teach and expand on on my YouTube Channel and inside The Professional Academy, where itinerants finally have a place built for them. A place with ready-to-use tools, training, community, and the kind of support I wish I’d had when I was drowning.

So if you’re ready to reclaim your time… if you’re ready to stop surviving and start thriving… if you’re ready to step into your role with confidence, clarity, and a sense of peace—you don’t have to do it alone. The Professional Academy is here to walk alongside you, giving you the tools that help you do the work you love without sacrificing the life you love.

You deserve to breathe again. And the good news? You can start today.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL ACADEMY HERE

SUBSCRIBE TO THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE

FAQ: Time-Saving Hacks for Itinerant Teachers 

Q: What is the fastest way for itinerant DHH teachers to save time during the school day?
A: The biggest time-saver is shifting from paper systems to a digital calendar like Google Calendar. By embedding IEP goals, audiograms, lesson plans, contact information, and data collection forms into each student’s calendar event, you eliminate so much searching, emailing, and prep work. This single shift alone often saves teachers 3–5 hours per week.

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Q: How can I keep track of multiple IEP deadlines across several schools?
A: Create calendar events for each IEP and schedule automated reminders—8 weeks, 6 weeks, and 1 month out. Then add the case manager, audiologist, SLP, and LEA as guests so they also receive the reminders. This not only keeps you aware of deadlines but ensures you’re invited to meetings without having to chase anyone down.

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Q: What’s the best way to reduce lesson-planning time as a DHH itinerant?
A: Stop lesson planning from scratch. Truly—stop. Use the Professional Academy Toolbox, which contains ready-to-go lessons aligned with IEP goals and language outcomes. If you’re not sure where to begin, open the Toolbox with your student and choose together. This builds self-awareness and ownership for them while saving you hours every week.

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Q: How can I provide teacher inservices without scheduling extra meetings?
A: Build inservicing directly into your student sessions. After a quick Q&A or comprehension check, record a 2–3 minute Loom video with your student that demonstrates what teachers need to know—FM troubleshooting, technology tips, best seating, challenging listening situations, etc. Send the video to the teacher. Loom even notifies you when they’ve watched it, and the video can be reused for future staff.

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Q: How do I involve students in their own IEP process?
A: Sit beside your students while drafting present levels and accommodations. Ask them specific questions about their communication, their listening challenges, and what helps them access instruction. Add their words straight into the IEP during your DHH session. This builds authentic buy-in and drastically reduces how much paperwork you need to finish later.

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Q: What organizational tools do itinerant teachers rely on most?
A: Google Calendar (for sessions, reminders, and communication), Google Forms (for fast data collection), Loom (for quick inservicing), and the Professional Academy Toolbox (for ready-made lessons) are the most essential. Together, they streamline your schedule, your planning, and your follow-through.

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Q: Where can I learn these systems step-by-step?
A: Every hack in this post—calendar setup, automation, student-led IEP writing, in-session inservicing, and toolbox-based lesson planning—is taught inside The Professional Academy. You’ll find full trainings, templates, ready-to-use lessons, and a community of itinerants using the same systems to save hours each week.