Select the right Microsoft Template

Select the best Microsoft Template for the job

If you were to use Microsoft Office applications and office templates to undertake each of the following teacher related tasks, which would you use?

1. Compile a contact list for your students

2. Create publicity and advertising for your classes

3. Record, track and analyse attendance

4. Present information to a group

Many of us are comfortable using at least 1 or 2 Office applications. Often we use our preferred Office programs to try and do everything – even if the application may not be the best tool for the job.

Why?

We’re comfortable to use the tools that we already know. Albeit for the most confident IT users, many of us teachers, trainers and instructors assume that to learn a new program will be more time consuming than to just get the job done using our usual loyal application.

This approach may be true if you are producing something that you are unlikely to do produce very often. However, if you are regularly producing teaching or training materials, or undertaking routine administrative tasks, and you feel that things could be done more efficiently, then they probably can.

OK. Let’s return to the question at the start of this page.

“If you were to use Microsoft Office applications and office templates to undertake each of the following teacher related tasks, which would you use?”

Let's look at each task individually. There's not a 'one program does all' solution here.

1. Compile a contact list for your students

How many of you chose Word? A large percentage I’m sure.

Why?

MS Word is simply one of the most commonly used Office applications.

Many of us can master the basics of formatting text, page layout and creating tables with not too much difficulty.

Of course Microsoft Word templates could be created to store the contact details of your students. However, if you need to organise and analyse your student data more rigorously, for example, sorting students by name, age or gender or using it as a data source to generate a mail merge document, it starts to become a bit clumsy.

If you chose MS Excel templates to store you student contact details you chose well.

Even better if you chose an MS Access database.

2. Create publicity and advertising for your classes

Again, I’m sure a large percentage of people would have chosen Word for the same reasons as the student contact list example above. We know how to use it.

But when creating posters and flyers do you get frustrated with the way that text boxes and graphics keep moving around? Do you find it difficult to get items to line up? Does the page arrangement appear unbalanced with margins of unequal size?

Try using Microsoft Publisher templates instead. MS Publisher is an entry level desktop publishing application that is suitable for producing all kinds of printable publications, websites and email stationery.

3. Record, track and analyse attendance

The traditional approach to recording attendance in registers, attendance books and on printable attendance sheets and forms works. It has done for years. But with the readily available access to computing technology take your attendance tracking one step further. Try using one of my free downloadable Excel templates or a database in MS Access to supplement or replace your hard copy attendance keeping.

If you own an educational business, such as a TEFL school or training centre, or you are self employed, gaining a more complete picture of who attends your classes will help you to plan your business more efficiently. By using a spreadsheet or database you will be able to quickly and efficiently analyse your attendance records.

Read more about the advantages of tracking attendance templates >>

4. Present information to a group

Blackboards, whiteboards, flip charts, over-head projectors and hard copy handouts. We’ve all used them over the years. Your choice of presentation media will depend on what type of teaching, training or activity you are delivering and to how many people.

Within the MS Office suite of programs, Power point is a highly effective and well used presentation program. If you have access to a large compatible screen or projector, connect your PC and start delivering professional looking presentations.

Having designed your presentation you may want to provide your students with hard copy notes to accompany it. Can I hear you reaching for Word already? Well don’t, unless you have a good reason to. Power point allows notes to be made against each slide. Notes and slides can be printed from within the presentation itself, keeping everything neatly packaged in the same file.

To conclude...

Before you start designing your microsoft template, take a few minutes to really think about the task at hand, want to achieve and if you need to deliver an end result. Consider the best tool (application) for the job.

Office templates available to download from this website have been created using a variety of Office applications. Not everyone has all the MS Office applications available to them. It’s perfectly understandable that you may use one program and not the preferred application simply because you don’t have it. Many of the microsoft templates available to download have been created in more than one office application to allow for this.

If you own an educational business, review what computer software you already have before investing your hard earned cash in additional IT systems. IT consultants can be very convincing in their sales delivery. Is that all singing all dancing bespoke school management system exactly what your school or training centre needs? If your business is big and busy enough, may be it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for.

However, for many small companies, some careful, well planned use of existing systems can make a significant difference, with the minimum of expense.

Download and start using class-templates. They're free, easy to use and can be amended to suit your individual needs no matter what type of learning you deliver.

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Microsoft Office WORD

A word processing application.

Tools allow users to compose and proof text to create professional looking written documents and reports. Word templates are ideal for creating lesson plan templates, printable attendance sheets and registration forms, flash card templates, student and parent correspondence and reports.

Microsoft Templates - WORD >>

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Microsoft Office EXCEL

A spreadsheet application.

Enables users to undertake calculations, analyse data and graphically present results. Excel templates are ideal for creating attendance sheets, tracking course attendance and monitoring weekly attendance figures.

Microsoft EXCEL Templates >>

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Microsoft Office POWERPOINT

A presentation program.

Used to deliver information to groups or individuals. Perfect for all types of teaching, training and instruction. Helps focus a groups concentration when presenting new ideas and concepts.


Microsoft Powerpoint Templates >>

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Microsoft Office ACCESS

A relational database management system.

It can be used to store, manage and report information related to students, lessons, courses and school businesses.


Microsoft Access Templates >>

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Microsoft Office PUBLISHER

An entry level desktop publishing application.

Page layout, graphics and Word Art tools allow many types of publication to be easily created with a professional look.

Ideal for creating publicity for your classes such as posters, flyers, brochures, business cards, certificates of appreciation certificates of completion, and certificates of achievement.

Microsoft PUBLISHER Templates >>

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MICROSOFT TEMPLATES..

Microsoft Office WORD templates

Microsoft Office EXCEL templates

Microsoft Office PUBLISHER templates

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