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Effective lesson planning is crucial for a productive school year. It helps educators remain organized and on track, ensures that the diverse needs of students are met, and facilitates the monitoring of progress through assessments aligned with educational standards. Clearly, a well-structured lesson plan is a multifaceted tool!
Discover how new teachers can effectively plan lessons with simple yet effective steps. From comprehensive year-at-a-glance unit plans to daily activity templates, we’ve compiled the best resources to enhance your teaching practices, making lesson planning not only efficient but also valuable for student instruction.
1. Start with 1 essential question
Every successful lesson plan originates from an essential question, often referred to as an EQ or driving question. These questions should invite open-ended responses, allowing for exploration and discussion without a singular correct answer. Examples of essential questions include:
- How can counting be applied in our daily lives?
- What does friendship signify to you?
- What actions can we take to maintain our health?
- In what ways did the Industrial Revolution shape our modern lives?
Essential questions can be tailored to individual lessons or designed to resonate throughout entire units, providing focus for both educators and students on the core aspects of the lesson.
Use lesson plan templates to stay organized
Are you tired of creating lengthy lesson plans for intricate activities? Streamline your process by utilizing lesson plan templates that clearly outline daily activities, objectives, classroom management strategies, and other vital components.
Teacher Planner | EDITABLE Digital & Printable Binder | 2023-2026 FREE UPDATES!
By Mandy Neal
Grades: K-5th
This comprehensive teacher planner is available in both digital and printable formats and includes six different pre-dated lesson plan layouts, premade digital stickers, two grade book options, and sections for student profiles and contact information, along with field trip forms, IEPs, class management plans, and substitute reports.
Lesson & Unit Plan Templates for Middle or High School | TPT
By Michele Luck’s Social Studies
Grades: 6th-12th
These pre-designed lesson plan templates for middle and high school streamline the lesson planning process by breaking down a 15-day unit into daily lessons and activities, complete with spaces for aligned standards, objectives, exit slips, and essential questions.
2. Set only 1 or 2 learning objectives per lesson
Familiar with the acronym SWBAT? It stands for “Students Will Be Able To …” and highlights the skills students are expected to demonstrate by the end of your lesson. Stick to one or two primary learning objectives to maintain focus in your lesson plan, as too many goals can lead to confusion.
Utilize the SMART criteria to craft effective learning objectives:
- Specific: Clearly defined goals
- Measurable: Capable of assessment and evaluation
- Achievable: Realistic based on time and student capabilities
- Relevant: Connected to the unit’s overall objectives
- Timely: Set within a specific timeframe
💡Pro Tip: Avoid vague terms like “understand” or “know” in your objectives. Instead, focus on observable skills, such as “Students will be able to write a complete sentence” or “Students will be able to accurately add fractions.”
Put your learning objectives on display
Your students may not see your detailed lesson plan, but they will benefit from having the learning objectives visible. Designate a space in your classroom to showcase both short-term and long-term objectives and discuss them with your students before starting each lesson.
Learning Objectives Display – Editable Learning Targets Bulletin Board | Decor
By Learning in Wonderland
This resource aids in helping students understand the purpose of each lesson, providing a decorative and functional way to display learning objectives, allowing them to track their progress in acquiring new skills.
3. Put the lesson into the context of your class
Context is crucial in lesson planning. While you may know your class well, consider what an observer would need to understand about your lesson. Keep the following questions in mind during your planning process:
- What grade level is being taught?
- How many students are in the class?
- Are there any special considerations for specific populations? (e.g., English language learners, students with special needs)
- Is the lesson part of a larger unit?
- What prior knowledge do students have about the topic?
Include information regarding future lessons if this lesson is part of a unit. If you’re reviewing or reteaching a concept, that context is also vital in your lesson plan.
Keep English language learners in mind as you plan
Regardless of whether you’re teaching a mainstream class that includes English language learners or a dedicated ELL class, it’s essential to ensure that your instruction is accessible to everyone. Implement ELL lesson plan templates to help meet fluency goals throughout your planning process.
ESL Lesson Plan Templates: ELL Resources, Beginner ESL Plans, ESL Google Slides
By Inspiring Young Learners — Beth Vaucher
This resource provides ready-to-use lesson plan templates focused on English learners, addressing key components such as background knowledge and student conversation, along with tips for effective lesson differentiation.
4. Connect to the learning standards for the subject and your region
Each lesson should be linked to relevant learning standards, such as district-specific guidelines or the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). These standards should align with your learning objectives or address additional skills students need to master.
To effectively connect your lesson to learning standards, consider these strategies:
- Unpack the standards to understand the skills each one encompasses.
- Utilize broader umbrella standards instead of overly specific benchmarks.
- Select a primary goal standard for your entire unit, addressing various elements throughout your lessons.
- Check your curriculum or assessments for aligned standards that can be integrated into your lesson.
💡Pro Tip: While it may be tempting to list every relevant standard, aim to focus on the most specific standards applicable to your lesson. Listing too many does not necessarily enhance your lesson quality!
Follow the data to track learning standards
Visualize parent conferences where you can present student progress toward learning standards on a single page! Use tracking checklists and spreadsheets to maintain assessment data in one organized location.
EDITABLE Standards Progression Checklists | Class Checklist | Google Sheets
By Lone Star Classroom
Utilize editable standards checklists for any grade to set clear goals. These preformatted checklists in PowerPoint and Google Slides allow you to enter your class roster, determine priority standards, and monitor individual student progress alongside your lesson planning.
5. Compile a list of lesson materials
What materials are essential for successfully completing this lesson? Often referred to as the Anticipatory Set, this section of your lesson plan should encompass all physical and digital resources needed to facilitate student learning. Be sure to include supplies such as:
- Worksheets
- Workbooks
- Textbooks
- Laptops or tablets
- Manipulatives
- Internet access
- Whiteboard and markers
- Art supplies (crayons, paper, scissors, etc.)
- Assessment tools (rubrics, peer checklists, etc.)
- Differentiation materials (large-print worksheets, fidgets, etc.)
A comprehensive materials list helps you anticipate what you’ll need and keeps the planning process on track. For instance, if you require a class set of worksheets, listing it in your lesson plan serves as a reminder to prepare the copies before the lesson begins. There’s nothing worse than starting class without necessary materials!
6. Include necessary vocabulary words
Even if your lesson isn’t focused on vocabulary, it will invariably involve important terms. From subject-specific words like “ecosystem” or “denominator” to academic vocabulary like “expository writing,” compile a list of essential vocabulary to ensure your lesson’s success.
These words need not be exclusive to the lesson but can be crucial for comprehension. If students are unfamiliar with some vocabulary, consider introducing them during the lesson’s introduction. You can also include these terms in previous vocabulary lists or assess prior knowledge before the lesson begins.
7. List step-by-step procedures
When educators think of a lesson plan, the procedural section is often foremost in their minds. Each step in your lesson plan should include the estimated duration, materials required, and the expected actions of both students and teachers.
The primary procedures of your lesson can be categorized as follows:
- Introduction: How you introduce the lesson (bell ringers, warm-ups, daily grammar practice, etc.)
- Direct Instruction: The segment of your lesson where direct teaching occurs
- Guided Practice: Activities involving student participation in instruction (e.g., class discussions or group sharing)
- Independent Practice: Student-led activities demonstrating understanding
- Closure: How the lesson concludes (exit tickets, homework assignments, etc.)
💡Pro Tip: Depending on the length of your lesson, aim to allocate more time for guided and independent practice than for direct instruction. Keep introduction and closure activities brief, ideally around 5-10 minutes each.
8. Add differentiation strategies to every lesson
Lesson planning is a key component of the National Council on Teacher Quality standards, emphasizing the need to accommodate diverse student needs. Effective differentiation strategies make instruction accessible to all students, catering to their unique skill requirements while maintaining lesson coherence.
If you are working with a diverse mainstream class, consider these differentiation options during your planning:
- Utilize educational tools and software to identify reading materials that match varying reading levels for the same topic.
- Carefully scaffold lessons, providing supportive steps, even if it means extending a single-period lesson over two days.
- Design tiered assignments that enable struggling and advanced students to start at different points but reach the same learning outcomes.
- Utilize independent practice time during your lesson to assist struggling students while allowing more independent learners to work solo.
You can either designate a separate category for differentiation in your lesson plan or integrate notes within the procedural section, depending on the extent of your planned adjustments.
Organize your special education daily schedule
Special Education Editable Lesson Plan Template – PowerPoint and Google Slides
By Traci Bender – The Bender Bunch
Grades: PreK-12th
This resource aids in organizing your daily schedule and tracking priorities for students in special education. With clearly defined procedure lists, daily routines, and group schedules, this customizable tool enhances classroom efficiency without necessitating extensive lesson plans.
9. Link your assessment to the objective
Your assessment, whether formal or informal, should directly correlate with the skills specified in your objectives and standards. Here are some examples:
- If students are learning to convert decimals, your assessment could be an independent worksheet on decimals.
- For reading comprehension lessons, consider collecting exit tickets where students summarize a short story discussed in class.
- Conduct an informal survey at the beginning of class to gauge students’ prior knowledge (e.g., using a KWL chart) and refer back to it during the lesson’s conclusion.
- Ask students to share one fact they learned about the scientific process discussed during class.
Additionally, establish whether you will use formative assessments (ongoing checks for understanding) or summative assessments (final evaluations at the end of a unit). Use assessment outcomes to inform your next steps in the unit plan and incorporate any skills that require reinforcement in upcoming lessons.
10. Evaluate the lesson’s success
Reflection on all aspects of your lesson is essential, from classroom management to procedural execution. This section should remain blank until after your lesson, where you can address the following questions:
- What aspects of the lesson were successful?
- What changes would you implement next time?
- Were students engaged throughout all steps?
- How effective was your time management?
- Did you have all necessary materials ready?
- What insights does the assessment data provide regarding your lesson?
The most critical reflection is whether students achieved the lesson objectives. Did they demonstrate proficiency in the targeted skills, or do they require additional practice? When will you revisit those skills in future lessons?
Unit Planning Tips for New Teachers
Planning individual lessons is manageable, but how do experienced educators stay organized across multiple lessons? Follow these strategies for developing long-term unit plans that incorporate a new lesson each day:
- Plan as far ahead as possible. While you need not map out the entire year, aim to plan at least a month in advance as a new teacher.
- Stay adaptable. Reflecting on your lessons will require you to identify areas for improvement and find ways to reinforce new skills in future lessons.
- Utilize backward mapping. Begin with the end of the unit in mind and work backward to outline how you will guide students to that endpoint.
- Focus on skills. Emphasize skill development in your lessons rather than merely delivering content.
- Collaborate with colleagues. New teachers benefit from teamwork! Collaborate with fellow educators and mentors to gain insights and create solid unit plans.
- Set personal objectives. While you know the skills your students should attain, what about your own goals? Include objectives for your teaching, such as “Quiet the class in one minute” or “Prepare all copies one week in advance.”
Map out the year with templates and auxiliary materials
If the thought of planning the entire school year feels overwhelming, ensure you have the best resources to assist you. Utilize straightforward mapping templates to guarantee that your students are meeting standards and acquiring essential skills for success.
Curriculum Map Template, Long Range Plans, Scope and Sequence 2025-2026 Calendar
By SmooresDoor
This curriculum map provides a comprehensive overview of your academic year, organizing lesson plans by subject, month, and unit. Editable and available in both color and black and white, this resource allows you to create a cohesive long-term plan that connects your curriculum across multiple grading periods.
Gain lesson planning confidence with TPT
While your students may not glimpse your planning book, they will sense your organizational prowess through the efficient management of their classroom. By maintaining clear instructions, aligning assessments with objectives, and establishing straightforward procedures, both you and your students can enjoy a rewarding year together!
For additional insights on lesson planning, explore our collection of lesson plan templates. Also, check out our guide on how classroom organization fosters a rich learning environment for your first year of teaching.
