Who Knew?! Three Tech Tips the District Tech Coach Recently Learned

We often tell our students that learning never stops, but how often do we admit that to ourselves? As a District Technology Coach, I spend my day in the "tech trenches," but even I have "Aha!" moments that make me wonder, “How did I not know this sooner?!” Today, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing three simple Google Workspace tricks I recently learned that are total game-changers for my daily workflow. How many of these did you already know?

3 Simple Tricks to Try Today

1. The "Early Warning System": Custom Email Notifications

I used to clutter my calendar by creating "reminder" events a week before a big deadline just so I wouldn't forget it was coming. It made my calendar look like a mess!

• The Secret: You can actually tell any specific Google Calendar event to send you an email notification days or even weeks in advance.
• How to do it: Open a Calendar event and click the pencil icon (Edit). Look for the "Notification" section (usually a bell icon). Change "Notification" to Email and set your timeframe—like "7 days" before. Now, your future self will get a friendly heads-up in your inbox without the extra calendar clutter! Never let a progress report deadline or IEP meeting sneak up on you again.

2. Your Signature Style: Setting a Default Font in Docs

Are you tired of constantly changing "Arial 11" to your favorite readable font for every new handout?

• The Secret: You can tell Google Docs exactly how you want every new document to look.
• How to do it: Type a few words, highlight them, and set your preferred font and size (Lexend is my go-to!). Then, go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Normal Text > Update 'Normal text' to match. Finally, go to Format > Paragraph Styles > Options > Save as my default styles. Ditch the Arial default for a font that's as modern as the digital tools our students use every day.

3. The "Work Smarter" Assessment: Import Questions in Forms

If you have a great quiz from last year but only want to use three specific questions for a quick check-in today, don't copy-paste the questions & answers manually!

• The Secret: Use the "Import Questions" tool to pull content from any existing Form in seconds.
• How to do it: In a new Google Form, click the Import Questions icon (the little paper with an arrow) on the right-hand toolbar. Pick your old Form, select the specific questions you want, and click Import. Stop reinventing the wheel! Pull your favorite questions from last year's quizzes in three clicks.

Need a hand? If you’d like to see these tricks in action or have something you recently discovered, don’t hesitate to reach out to your building’s Technology Coaches. We are always here to support you and learn the tips that you find to make life easier!