13 Best Teacher Planners to Stay Organized [2024 Guide]

Staying organized as a teacher can make or break your day or even your week – the best teacher planners make it easy to stay on schedule, deliver valuable lessons, and keep a record of what worked and what didn’t

When it comes to teacher planners, the best option for you will have everything you need to stay on top of your schedule. Planner options come with many different features and layouts and you’ll need to look for a planner book that coincides with your term length, the classes you teach, and your daily needs.

Our top pick for the best teacher lesson planner is the Daily Planner by Scholastic. This customizable teacher planner is undated, simple, and comes with a class roster. It’s a great choice if you want simpler planning that’s flexible for your schedule.

The Best Planners for Teachers

Daily Planner by Scholastic

Our pick for best teacher planner is the Daily Planner by Scholastic – it’s wire-bound, filled with un-dated and lined pages for evergreen planning, and even includes a class roster to help you keep track of students and their grades.

This planner is the definition of proven simplicity and is an asset for any teacher looking to simplify their planning or replace a planner that keeps them bound to a range of dates.

What we like:

• Super affordable undated planner
• Spiral binding and classic Scholastic aesthetic
• Includes daily plans for every week of the year
• Comes with a class roster
• Made for grades K through 6

Blue Sky 2021-2022 Academic Year Weekly & Monthly Planner 

This is a nice planner for teachers that covers 12 months of periodical planning. The months are divided by a stiff tab that will stand all kinds of rigor during the year. You can view each month on a single view page and each week in another view that helps to organize detailed plans. 

The planner itself is made from thick, high-quality paper that is bound with a durable hard paper cover that is guaranteed to keep it intact through the hassles of the year. There are also two calendars included and enough note pages to help you keep tabs on your appointments.

What we like:

• 2021 planner that covers a full year of school from 2021 to 2022
• Stiff and durable tab dividers separating the months
• Separate monthly and weekly spreads for easy viewing
• Thick paper with very little ink bleedthrough
• Includes two calendars, several bonus note pages, and a hard paper cover

Bloom Daily Planners Undated Academic Year Teacher Planner

The first thing you notice about this teacher planner is the full color of the pages and the beautiful floral watercolor design on the cover. This is one of the best planners to buy if you’re picking up one in the middle of the year when a dated planner would be an inconvenience.

Because the weekly charts are not dated, you can start using this from any date and fill out the date in whatever order you so wish (perfect for ESL teachers starting their contract mid-year). This means it would last longer than other planners. 

What we like:

• Beautiful watercolor cover design with flowers
• Undated for maximum convenience
• 12-month view to see everything at a glance
• Pages for graphs, dates, and student information
• Good for both daily notes and long-term planning

House of Doolittle Teachers Planner

This planner for teachers comes in many colors and configurations that include a larger size, a lesson planner and class records if you want. Made by an environmentally responsible company on fully recycled paper, it contains 7-period weeks that span across two pages.

The blue faux leather book cover is also strong enough to keep your thoughts organized for as long as you need the planner. One of the reasons why it’s a popular planner is the attendance and grade record section which helps to keep student notes consolidated.

What we like:

• Large planner for teachers who want extra writing space on their paper
• Available in several different colors
• Includes lesson plans, notes pages, and class records for 7 periods
• Grades and attendance note section lets you consolidate records
• Environmentally sound and made of recycled paper

7 Period Teacher Lesson Plan

Elan teacher planners are made from durable paper, weigh just under 10 ounces and hardly bleed ink. The Monument or Montana hardcover has a protective surface that is waterproof and scratch resistant and there’s plenty of space to compile lesson notes and highlight without it smudging other pages.

This planner is highly recommended by other teachers because of the extra column provided to include additional notes.  The quality of the paper is also much better than most similarly-priced planners.

What we like:

• Designed to be lightweight, durable, and no-bleed
• Waterproof and scratch-resistant cover stands up to wear and tear
• Spreads include an extra column for additional miscellaneous notes
• Seating plans and graphs included
• Space to write instructions and notes for substitute teachers

Elan Hardcover Combination Plan and Record Book

This planner comes in a gold dots and turquoise design that also includes a free clip-on bookmark. Using a combination book is efficient because there’s a grade book section with plenty of room, and there’s a full page for a school year which could be used to conveniently access and make plans. 

There’s also a comprehensive record book included for up to ten weeks that can take as many as 50 students, enough to cater for a full academic year either on the planner or on the annual glance spread section.

What we like:

• Turquoise and gold planner with a free clip-on bookmark
• Record book can keep track of 50 students for 10 weeks
• Annual spread lets you make year-long plans
• Combination of daily lesson planner and yearly spread
• Efficient for recording information and taking notes during classes

Teacher Created Resources Teacher Plan Book

There are few Teacher Plan Books that have everything you need as a teacher to organize classes, plan for the academic year and keep student records. The best teacher planner is one that is flexible enough to accommodate class notes, grades and academic records for both classroom and home school teachers. 

The cover is beautiful and colorful and keeps the pages straight and crisp. The plan book is big enough for a proper classroom setup and one feature we loved is the brain teasers and puzzles which are a great way to interact with students.

What we like:

• Planning book created by teachers, for teachers
• Spiral-bound and durable design with 96 pages
• Space for day-to-day lesson plans
• “Brain teaser” each week to challenge your students
• Classic design with flexible formatting

Aim High Teacher Planner Plan Book 

This planner covers monthly spreads that allow for weekly notes. The wire used to bind the planner is sturdy and keeps the pages together. 

There’s a spread for every week containing lesson plans, grade recording sections, and attendance sheets. The colorful hardbound cover offers year-round protection from drops and most sources of damage. There are also 46 tab stickers to help with bookmarking.

What we like:

• 128-page undated softcover planner
• Includes weekly lesson plans, monthly calendars, and yearly spreads
• Checklists, notes, contact information, communication logs, and substitute info
• Graphing sheets to sketch plans and record seating charts
• Full-color organization lets you see what you need at a glance

At-a-Glance Undated Teacher’s Planner

The black undated Teacher’s Planner helps teachers to keep tabs on their students, lecture notes and academic plans. The Undated Teacher’s Planner includes space for nine subject notes and there is also a double-page spread for many subjects. Keeping class records, seating arrangements, and student grades will never be easier.

One thing to note though is that this planner is arranged in weeks and is suited more for a regular academic year, so you may not be able to use it for a 12-month schedule without some adjustments.

What we like:

• Undated planner for both classroom and homeschool teachers
• High-quality, thick paper is resistant to ink bleeding
• Weekly two-page spreads allow planning for up to nine subjects or classes
• Unlined daily blocks so you can squeeze in all your details
• Also includes grading records, notes, seating charts, and class records

Deluxe Dated Teacher Planner

This gorgeous teacher planner comes with all the materials you need to plan your day, week, and month for the entire school year. Each page has seven class periods, so you can plan for every period of the day. Also included are fun accessories like stickers, organizational page tabs, a bookmark, and a pocket folder.

In addition to planning pages, the book has log pages that let you record grades and attendance. The durable cover is built to last through an entire school year and you can list your students for each class, log your communications, and even plot seating charts. There are also some free lined notes pages for whatever else you might want to remember.

What we like:

• Beautiful floral planner dated August to August 
• Weekly planning pages for 7 class periods
• Pages to log communications, grades, attendance, and even seating charts
• Includes 9 sections with tabs, 5 sticker sheets, pocket folder, and bookmark
• Designed to stand up to a year of heavy daily use

Eureka Blue Harmony Back to School Lesson Plan Book

This pretty notebook is available with fourteen different cover options, so you can choose the one that best suits your personal taste. The 8.5 by 11-inch size means that it will fit perfectly with your folders and classroom papers. The attendance records and lesson plans are both integrated into the same book, which works for teachers at any grade level.

In addition to planning lessons, you also have pages to track assignments, birthdays, attendance, and whatever other notes you want to write. There are pages spanning 40 weeks of the school year as well as room to write emergency plans and notes for substitute teachers in a pinch.

What we like:

• 40-week planner available with 14 different covers
• 8.5 x 11 inches for easy stacking with papers, folders, and other notebooks
• Tracks attendance, assignments, lessons, and birthdays
• Comes with space to create emergency plans and notes for substitute teachers
• Beautiful, durable construction with a sturdy binding

Schoolgirl Style Academic Teacher Planner

Another undated planner, this option works no matter what dates or times you teach. The design allows for weekly and monthly lesson planning. In addition to working well for classrooms, it can also be used by homeschool tutors. The 128-page volume has checklists, contact pages, notes sections, communication logs, and information for substitute teachers.

The planner also comes with graph sheets that let you lay out your classroom seating charts and plan how to arrange your furniture. You can also use this paper to sketch visuals for your lesson plans. There are nine to-do list stickers that you can put wherever you need them, 16 sticker tabs for dividing sections, and 21 accent stickers.

What we like:

• Small undated 128-page softcover planner with monthly calendars and weekly plans
• Comes with tab divider stickers, to-do list stickers, and accent stickers
• Graph sheets allow you to plan your classroom seating charts
• Checklists, communication logs, substitute plans, contact pages, and notes sections
• Great for teachers looking for a compact, portable option

Bloom Daily Planners

These undated daily planners are 9 by 11 inches, which means you can slide standard-sized paper inside without it slipping out. There are 60 weeks of planning pages with 5 weeks in each monthly spread which means that unlike many other options, you can use this planner for more than a year.

The pages are printed in full color and bound within a glossy laminated cover. Additional supplemental pages help you organize your classroom and remember important information. You can keep track of student information, contact info, website logins, seating charts, field trip planning, birthdays, and graded assignments.

What we like:

• Undated daily planner with 160 full-color pages
• 60 full weekly spreads with monthly overviews
• Protective laminated cover with an inside pocket for papers
• Pages for web logins, contact info, student info, field trip planning, and seating chart planning
• Gradebook spreads included to keep track of past assignments

Buying Guide for Teacher Planners

Paper Quality & Binding

If you’re going to be using your planner for the entire school year, you want it to stand up to the challenge. Planners like the Deluxe Teacher Planner are specifically built with sturdy materials so they can be used for a year without the binding becoming damaged. Metal bindings tend to be sturdier than glue, though some specialized glue bindings can beat spiral notebooks.

The paper quality is especially important if you ever use ink in your planner. Will the marks bleed through to the reverse side? Thick, high-quality pages can take ink and sometimes even marker without a bleed. Make sure the paper will stay neat and organized no matter what you throw at it.

For those who are considering skipping the printing and binding, why not consider a digital planner? See our roundup of the 5 Best Digital Teacher Planners for 2024.

Layout

The layout makes a big difference. Options like the Bloom Daily Planners give you space for weeks of lesson plans along with monthly overviews. Then they have bonus pages that let you record extra information. Other planners combine attendance records, weekly planning, and grades by date instead.

When you’re thinking about the layout that works best for you, consider these questions: How much space do you need to write your lesson plans? Will you benefit from a monthly calendar in addition to weekly spreads? Do you need your extra information to be arranged chronologically, or should it be easily accessible in its own section?

Some people will want a planner that lets them record everything by date. Others will want a place to write down student notes, communication recordings, and contact info in a separate spot.

Length

The length of the planner also makes a difference. You want one that will cover your entire teaching term and it should have enough pages and space for you to record information for every class. Planners like the Eureka Blue Harmony have 40 weeks of lesson plan templates to cover a typical year. Other planners might have a full 52 weeks or more.

The number of pages also impacts your choice. Planners with more pages will be thicker, so they might be less portable while offering more room for you to write down important details and capture extra information. Meanwhile, short page counts might not have as much room for extra detail. But they will let you jot down your most important plans for easy reference.

Templates or Blank

You’ll need to decide whether to get a planner with page templates or blank space. Some options, like the Schoolgirl Style planner, have a combination of both.

Templates are advantageous because they make it easy to keep track of information. You don’t need to worry about organization, what to record, or where to record it. But templates are also more limiting than blank pages due to their predetermined sections. In addition, you might not need every single template that a planner includes.

On the other hand, blank pages let you do whatever you want. You can doodle, take notes, make lists, chart lesson plans, create graphs, write reminders, or do anything else. If you often find yourself feeling constrained by the limitations of page templates, you might find that a blank planner is somewhat freeing.

Teacher Planner FAQ

Bottomline on the Best Teacher Planners

There’s a lot to consider when you’re looking for the best teacher planner for you and your classes. You have to decide how detailed the planner will be, whether it will include information about your students, and whether it will be dated or not. The best planners for teachers vary depending on your needs.

Overall, our top pick is the Scholastic planner. It has everything you need in a simple, customizable format. The convenient features and easy scheduling will appeal to teachers from most walks of life.