3 Time Saving Shifts for School Leaders to Maximize Time for Relationships

Dr. Rachel Edoho-Eket

3 min read

As school leaders, we face a constant challenge: balancing our administrative duties with the important need to make time to personally connect with staff, students, and families. The administrative tasks, such as responding to emails, writing up classrooms observations, or planning professional learning meetings, often consume large chunks of the day, leaving little time for meaningful interactions that build trust and strengthen our school communities. Improving time management in these areas can free up valuable space and time to focus on what truly matters...the people we serve.

This blog shares three practical tips that principals and assistant principals can use to save time on administrative work. These strategies help reduce stress, improve efficiency, and create more opportunities to engage with students, staff, and families. Here are three shifts that don’t add more to your plate but instead change how you use the time you already have.

Use Digital Tools to Automate Routine Tasks

Many administrative duties are repetitive and time consuming, such as responding to emails, creating school newsletters, and compiling and analyzing data from numerous sources. Leveraging digital tools can automate these tasks and reduce your mental load & effort, saving you an extensive amount of time.

Shift from Thinking of Everything Yourself to Using AI as a Thought Partner

Creating newsletters, writing agendas, and responding to emails can consume hours of your time.

• Use tools like:

  • Copilot, ChatGPT, or Gemini to help draft emails, organize content for newsletters, & make meeting agendas

  • Canva is a great design tool with thousands of free templates to access and personalize

  • Grammarly can help polish your tone quickly without having to rewrite everything

  
  

Here's a quick example of how I recently leveraged AI as a thought partner. During the holiday season, I used Gemini to help my assistant principal and I organize community "sweet treat" donations for our teachers and staff. Gemini helped calculate the number of cookies, brownies, and gluten free treats that were needed based on our staff size, drafted the email to the community, and gave recommendations for the best way to organize the signup genius, all in under 5 minutes! It would have taken me at least an hour to work on that task, so I was grateful to be able to use my regained time for additional visits in classrooms that afternoon!

Choosing the right tech tools depends on your school’s needs. Start by identifying your most repetitive tasks and explore technology options that integrate well within your existing systems. Remember, AI helps school leaders to be more present with people when we leverage tools to help with our administrative tasks.

Delegate and Empower Your Team

Effective leadership means trusting your team and sharing responsibilities. School leaders should shift from doing everything to determining what onlyYou can do. Of course, there are certain jobs that the principal or assistant principal must do, but oftentimes, we over-extend ourselves and take on extra tasks that other capable people within our schools can accomplish.

When it comes to strong time management, one of the most critical questions school leaders can ask themselves is below.

Ask yourself:

Does this task require me to do it?

Many tasks are important, but not all of them require you. Delegating administrative tasks to capable staff members not only saves you time but also builds leadership capacity within your school.

• Identify tasks that others can handle, such as data entry or planning events.

• Assign clear roles and deadlines to ensure accountability.

• Provide training and resources before delegating tasks so your team members feel confident managing these duties.

  
  

Looking back, one of the main reasons that I am a school leader now is because when I was a teacher-leader, my former principal entrusted me to do all the tasks that she delegated to me. I learned so many useful skills that I still apply in my work today! I credit her, and many of my other mentors, for being catalysts to help bridge the gap between my experience as a kindergarten teacher to my successful transition as an assistant principal, and later, principal.

Leaders should note that delegation requires clear communication and follow-up but pays off by creating a more distributed workload. It also fosters a culture where staff feel valued and trusted, which strengthens relationships across the school.

Block Time for Intentional Relationship Building

Intentional scheduling is a powerful time management strategy to use. School leaders often fill our calendars with meetings and tasks (leaving little time for spontaneous interactions,) but by blocking specific times for relationship building, we can help ensure that these moments happen more regularly.

Here are some suggestions:

• Reserve daily or weekly blocks for classroom visits, informal check-ins with staff, or lunch with students

• Protect this time from interruptions by setting boundaries and communicating your availability.

• Use this time to listen, offer support, and celebrate successes across the school.

  
  

I try to set aside at least 30-45 minutes each day to walk through the building and informally engage with our students and staff. This helps me to stay grounded about what's happening around our school and provides firsthand insights. Additionally, I can often help problem solve with staff on the spot as I move across the building in a more personalized, proactive way. Scheduling relationship time sends a clear message that people are a priority. It also helps balance our administrative demands with the human side of leadership.

Saving time on administrative tasks is essential for school leaders who want to focus on building strong relationships. Using digital tools, delegating effectively, and blocking time for connections can transform the way you manage your day. Remember, our leadership sustainability is key, especially now! These tips create space for meaningful interactions that support your school’s success. Which strategy will you try next to save time?

If you enjoyed this blog, please share it with a colleague! Please visit www.racheledohoeket.com for more tips and resources!

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