📚 Complete User Guide

Everything you need to know about managing your school timetables efficiently

Select Your Role

👨‍💼

School Administrator

Complete system management, user creation, and timetable generation

👩‍🏫

Teacher

View personal timetables, manage workloads, and access class schedules

🚀 Getting Started

Welcome to Haki Schedule! This guide will help you set up and manage your school's timetabling system.

📝 Setup Order: Account → Teachers → Classes → Timeslots → Subjects → Workloads → Constraints → Generate

⚡ Quick Setup

Get started in under 30 minutes

🎯 Smart Automation

AI-powered conflict resolution

🔄 Unlimited Changes

Regenerate as many times as needed

⚙️ Manage Section

1️⃣ Creating Teachers

1Navigate to Manage → Teachers

Click "Add New Teacher" and fill in:

  • Full Name: Teacher's complete name
  • Email (Username): This will be their login (e.g., j.kamau@school.com)
  • Initial Password: Temporary password (e.g., Teacher@2025)
  • Allow Workload Edit: Enable if teachers can manage their own workloads
✅ Teacher Created! Share the email and password with the teacher so they can log in.

2️⃣ Creating Classes

Navigate to Manage → Classes, click "Add New Class"

Enter class name (e.g., Form 3A, Grade 10 East)

3️⃣ Setting Up Timeslots

Create your school schedule with lesson periods and breaks:

  • Period 1: 8:00 AM - 8:40 AM
  • Period 2: 8:40 AM - 9:20 AM
  • Tea Break: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM (mark as break)
  • Lunch: 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM (mark as break)

4️⃣ Creating Subjects

Add subjects and configure:

  • Subject Name: Mathematics, English, Biology, etc.
  • If Elective: Select elective group (Humanities, Languages)
  • Has Double Lesson: Check for subjects that need consecutive periods

📊 Workload Management

1Assigning Workloads

Navigate to Manage → Workloads and assign:

  • Teacher: Select teacher
  • Class: Select class
  • Subject: Select subject
  • Lessons/Week: Number of lessons (e.g., 5)
💡 Tip: If you enabled "Allow Workload Edit" for teachers, they can add their own workloads. Disable this after timetable generation.

📅 Timetable Generation

1Validate Data

Go to Timetable → Validate Data and fix any issues before and after generating.

2Set Constraints

Navigate to Manage Constraints and configure preferences:

  • Max lessons per day
  • Morning subjects (Math, Sciences early)
  • Afternoon subjects (PE, Arts later)
  • Teacher free afternoons
⚠️ Balance: Don't enable too many constraints or generation may fail.For any unscheduled lessons, click timetable cells and manually edit or add.

💳 Subscription & Payment

1M-Pesa Payment

  1. Click "Subscribe to Generate" (KES 10,000/year)
  2. Enter your M-Pesa phone number
  3. Check your phone for M-Pesa prompt (5-30 seconds)
  4. Enter your 4-digit M-Pesa PIN
  5. Wait for SMS confirmation
  6. System activates automatically
✅ Subscription Active! You can now generate unlimited timetables for 12 months.

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
No M-Pesa prompt Verify number, wait 1 minute, try again
Insufficient funds Deposit to M-Pesa and retry
Payment success but not activated Wait 2 minutes, refresh. Contact support if issue persists

👨‍🏫 Teacher Timetables

1Viewing Teacher Schedules

  1. Navigate to Teacher Timetables
  2. Select teacher from dropdown
  3. View their complete weekly schedule
  4. See all classes they teach and when

2Portrait vs Landscape Views

Toggle between views for different purposes:

  • Portrait: Traditional week view with periods as rows
  • Landscape: Compact view with days as rows, periods as columns

3Printing & Downloading

  • Click "Print" to print teacher's timetable
  • Click "Download as PDF" to save a copy
  • Choose orientation and color in print settings
💡 Pro Tip: Print all class timetables at once at the start of term and distribute them.

✨ Tips & Best Practices

🎯 Setup Phase

  • Enter all data before generating (don't add teachers/subjects mid-term)
  • Use clear, consistent naming (Form 3A, not F3A or 3A)
  • Double-check teacher credentials before sharing
  • Run validation before and after every generation

    • ⚙️ Constraint Management

  • Start with 3-5 key constraints, add more gradually
  • Prioritize: teacher availability > subject timing > minor preferences
  • If generation fails, disable least important constraints
  • Test with one class first before full school

    • 📅 Workload Planning

  • Balance teacher workloads (aim for 20-25 lessons/week)
  • Ensure sufficient periods for all lessons before generating
  • Account for double lessons when counting periods
  • Consider teacher specializations for electives

    • 🔄 Regeneration

  • Minor tweaks: Use manual editing instead of regenerating
  • Major changes: Clear timetables and regenerate fresh
  • Save PDF backups before regenerating
  • Test changes on Friday afternoons (less disruption)

    • 💾 Data Management

  • Export data monthly as backup
  • Archive previous term's timetables before clearing
  • Keep master list of teacher credentials offline
  • Review and update subjects annually

    • 👥 Communication

  • Share timetables 1 week before term starts
  • Notify teachers of changes immediately
  • Print physical copies for notice boards
  • Collect feedback from teachers after first week
    • 🎓 Pro Admin Tip: Create a "Timetable Committee" with 2-3 senior teachers to help validate workloads and constraints before generation.

    🔐 First Login

    📧 Get Credentials: Your school administrator will provide your login email and initial password.

    1Logging In

    1. Visit the login page
    2. Enter your email (e.g., j.kamau@school.com)
    3. Enter the initial password provided by admin
    4. Click "Login"
    🔒 Security: Change your password immediately after first login!

    🔑 Changing Your Password

    1Change Password Process

    1. After logging in, click your name (top right)
    2. Select "Change Password"
    3. Enter your current password
    4. Enter new password (minimum 8 characters)
    5. Confirm new password
    6. Click "Update Password"
    ✅ Password Changed! Use your new password for all future logins.
    💡 Password Tips:
    • Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
    • Don't share your password with anyone
    • Change it every 3-6 months
    • Don't use common words or birthdays

    📋 Viewing Your Personal Timetable

    1Accessing Your Schedule

    1. Click "My Timetable" in navigation
    2. Your timetable loads automatically
    3. See all your classes for the week
    4. View which periods you teach and which are free

    2Understanding Your Timetable

    Your timetable shows:

    • Subject: What you're teaching
    • Class: Which class (e.g., Form 3A)
    • Time: Lesson start and end time
    • Day: Monday through Friday

    Color Coding:

    • 🟦 Blue: Regular lessons
    • 🟦 Light Blue: Elective subjects
    • 🟨 Pink: Double lessons (consecutive periods)
    • ⬜ Gray: Breaks
    • ⬜ Empty: Free periods

    3Switching Views

    Toggle between Portrait and Landscape views:

    • Portrait View: Periods as rows, days as columns (traditional)
    • Landscape View: Days as rows, periods as columns (compact)

    Click the view toggle button at top right to switch.

    Printing Your Timetable

    1Print Steps

    1. Click "Print" button
    2. Browser print dialog opens
    3. Select printer or "Save as PDF"
    4. Choose orientation (Portrait/Landscape)
    5. Choose color or black & white
    6. Click "Print"
    💡 Tip: Save as PDF to your phone for offline access during lessons!

    Downloading as PDF

    1. Click "Download as PDF"
    2. Wait for generation (5-10 seconds)
    3. PDF downloads automatically
    4. Open with any PDF reader
    5. Share via email or WhatsApp if needed

    📚 Viewing Class Timetables

    1Accessing Class Schedules

    1. Click "Class Timetables" in navigation
    2. See all class timetables for the school
    3. Scroll to find specific classes you teach
    4. View complete weekly schedule for each class

    2Why View Class Timetables?

    • See what subjects come before/after your lesson
    • Know when students have breaks or heavy days
    • Coordinate with other teachers teaching the same class
    • Plan homework considering their full schedule

    ⚙️ Managing Your Workloads

    🔒 Permission Required: Your admin must enable "Allow Workload Edit" for you to manage your own workloads.

    1If Workload Edit is Enabled

    1. Navigate to My Workload
    2. Click "Add New Workload"
    3. Your name is pre-selected as teacher
    4. Select class and subject
    5. Enter lessons per week
    6. Click "Save"

    2Editing Existing Workloads

    • View your assigned workloads in the list
    • Click "Edit" to modify lessons per week
    • Click "Delete" to remove a workload
    ⚠️ Important: Changes you make won't reflect in timetables until admin regenerates. Coordinate with admin before making changes.

    3If Workload Edit is Disabled

    You can still:

    • "My workload" icon will diasppear
    • You will only view your timetable

    To make changes, contact your admin.

    ✨ Tips for Teachers

    📱 Daily Use

  • Save your timetable as PDF on your phone for offline access
  • Set reminders 10 minutes before new class periods
  • Check class timetables to know student context
  • Update personal notes if lesson times change

    • 📅 Weekly Planning

  • Review your timetable every Sunday night
  • Prepare materials for all lessons at week start
  • Note your free periods for marking/prep time
  • Coordinate with teachers of same class for projects

    • 🎯 Teaching Strategy

  • Morning lessons: Cover difficult concepts (Math, Sciences)
  • After lunch: Use interactive activities to maintain focus
  • Last periods: Review, practice, or lighter content
  • Double lessons: Break into two distinct sections with a mini-break

    • 🤝 Communication

  • Report timetable conflicts to admin immediately
  • Coordinate with elective teachers if sharing students
  • Inform admin of unavailability before timetable generation
  • Share best practices with colleagues teaching same subjects

    • ❓ Common Questions

    Q: I see two classes at the same time?

    A: This is likely an elective group where you teach different students from multiple classes simultaneously. Check with admin.

    Q: Can I swap periods with another teacher?

    A: Admin must approve and update the timetable. Don't swap informally without admin knowledge.

    Q: My timetable shows a subject I don't teach?

    A: Contact admin immediately - this is a data entry error that needs correction.

    Q: How often does the timetable change?

    A: Usually once per term. Minor adjustments may happen mid-term. Check regularly for updates.