“Organize Your Teaching with Notion”

Welcome to Words, Wealth & Wisdom, the podcast that helps educators find balance through smart tools and strategies for teaching and learning. I’m your host, Rae Howell, and today we’re exploring a digital tool that can truly simplify your professional life — Notion.

If you’ve ever found yourself managing endless files, lesson plans, student data, and to-do lists scattered across different platforms, this episode is for you. I’ll walk you through what Notion is, why it’s so useful for educators, how to use it effectively, and how to make sure your materials stay accessible for all learners.

Overview of Notion

So, what exactly is Notion?
Notion is an all-in-one productivity and organization platform that lets you take notes, manage tasks, build databases, and collaborate, all within one customizable workspace.

Think of it as your digital teaching hub, a place where lesson plans, student rosters, weekly to-do lists, and resource libraries can all live together. Each page can include text, images, embedded files, checklists, and tables. You can even add links to videos, Google Slides, or assessments.

Its greatest strength is flexibility. You design your layout the way you think, visual grids, detailed tables, or simple notes, and Notion adapts to fit your workflow.

Why Notion Is Useful for Educators

Notion stands out because it helps teachers bring order to complexity.

First, it supports organization and efficiency. Instead of keeping materials in multiple folders or platforms, you can centralize everything in one location. Create a “Teaching Dashboard” where you can link to courses, schedules, assessments, and student information, all accessible with one click.

Second, it enhances collaboration. You can share pages with colleagues or even with adult learners. Multiple people can edit a document simultaneously, leave feedback, or add new materials. According to Harris and Ellis (2020), productivity tools like Notion streamline communication and reduce repetitive administrative tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on pedagogy and reflection.

Third, it encourages reflection and tracking. You can use simple databases to monitor attendance, participation, or progress. This data-driven approach supports responsive instruction and individualized feedback.

Finally, Notion is accessible across devices, meaning you can open your workspace from a laptop, tablet, or phone. Whether you’re in the classroom, at home, or traveling, your teaching materials are always within reach.

How to Use Notion

Let’s talk about getting started.

1. Create your workspace. When you sign up for Notion, start by creating a main page, call it “Teaching Hub.” This will be your command center for all your courses and tasks.
2. Add subpages for each class or subject. Within each course, you can create pages for lesson plans, reading lists, assignments, and student reflections.
3. Use templates. Notion offers free templates for teachers, including lesson planners, gradebooks, and course overviews. Browse the “Education” category to find ones that fit your needs.
4. Customize. Add toggles, checkboxes, and tags to help organize your content. Over time, you’ll create a personalized workflow that aligns perfectly with your teaching style.
5. Share and collaborate. Invite colleagues or learners to specific pages for group projects, peer review, or collaborative note-taking.

As Kay (2022) highlights, digital tools that promote flexibility, collaboration, and content creation empower educators to enhance engagement and professional growth, all key outcomes of using Notion effectively.

Accessibility Considerations

Accessibility is a crucial part of using any digital tool. To make your Notion content inclusive:

• Use clear headings and structure so screen readers can navigate easily.
• Add alt text for images and graphics.
• Use high-contrast colors and legible fonts to support visual accessibility.
• Provide downloadable PDFs or transcripts of materials for learners who prefer offline access.
• When sharing Notion pages, ensure permissions are correctly set so everyone, including students using assistive technologies, can access the content.

To summarize, Notion helps educators stay organized, collaborate seamlessly, and work more efficiently. It brings together lesson planning, communication, and tracking, all while supporting flexibility and accessibility.

Thanks for joining me on Words, Wealth & Wisdom. I’m Rae Howell, reminding you that true productivity isn’t about doing more, it’s about creating systems that let you teach with clarity and purpose. Try using Notion to streamline your courses and see how much time and energy you regain for what matters most: your students.

References

Harris, M., & Ellis, R. (2020). Digital productivity tools and the reshaping of teacher workflows. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(2), 223–240.

Kay, R. (2022). Using productivity tools to promote engagement and reflection in higher education. Computers & Education, 184, 104520.