Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of what goes into a lesson plan, and how to get better at it without burning yourself out. Whether you’re preparing for the week or putting something together the night before (we’ve all been there), this guide is here to help.

Start with the end in Mind

Before you start prepping a fun game or creating a colorful chart, ask yourself, “What do I want my students to learn by the end of this lesson?” This is your learning objective. This is an essential component that needs to be clear and tied to your curriculum or standards.

Your goal is to guide students toward a specific skill or piece of knowledge. Here is an example of a math learning objective that is short and to the point.

“Students will solve one-step multiplication word problems with 80% accuracy.”

Here is another example, this time for ELA.

“Students will be able to identify the main idea and two supporting details from a nonfiction text.”

If your district uses standards-based grading, line up your objectives with those benchmarks. Some schools require objectives written in student-friendly language to be posted on the board, so be sure to check your school’s expectations.

Choose Materials and Resources

Once you have figured out your objective, next it’s time to choose the materials and resources you need to teach it. Take a look at your teacher’s manual, past lessons, or any trusted online resources you like to use. If your curriculum already gives you materials or texts to go with the lesson, that’s a bonus. If not, grab a quick video, a picture book, or even something from real life that helps bring the lesson to life. Just make sure everything connects back to the goal of your lesson.

This is also a good time to gather any handouts, digital tools, anchor charts, or manipulatives. You don’t want to be scrambling for supplies with students staring at you.

Map Out Your 91Ď㽶ĘÓƵ

Think about the flow of your lesson. A good lesson plan typically follows this format.

Warm-Up or Hook

Your warm-up or hook is how you will get students interested in the topic. This can be asking students a question, showing them a short video, or even a funny meme that ties into your topic. This only takes about 5-15 minutes, just long enough to set the stage for the lesson.

Warm-up Examples

• A question related to the topic
• Give students a sentence starter related to the question
• Have students sketch the concept

Hook Examples

• Short video clip
• Photo prompt
• Turn and talk

Direct Instruction or

This is where you introduce new content. Keep it simple, model the skill, explain the concept, and use visuals or examples when you can. This part should take about 10-15 minutes to complete.

Guided Practice

This part of the lesson plan is where you allow students to try out the concept with your help. You’re not turning them loose just yet. Instead, you’re walking them through it step by step, checking in, asking questions, and giving feedback along the way.

Here’s what guided practice might look like:

• You solve a problem on the board and have students do one just like it with you.
• Read a paragraph together as a class, then work as a group to find the main idea.
• You write a sentence and model how to add descriptive words, then ask students to try it on their own paper while you circulate to help.

The goal is to help students build confidence and catch mistakes early before they move on to independent work.

Independent Practice

Students are now ready to practice what they have learned on their own. This could be an activity, a worksheet, , or group work, whatever makes sense for the skill. The key is to make sure the task is connected to the objective. It should give students a chance to apply what they’ve just practiced with you during guided instruction.

Closure

End the lesson with a brief wrap-up and review. This can be something as simple as an exit ticket, quick reflection in a journal, or even just answering a few questions together as a class. Just a quick way to check for understanding and so students have a chance to think about what they’ve learned.

Differentiate for Diverse Learners

Think about how you can adjust instruction to meet the needs of all learners. You don’t need five different lesson plans to support or challenge students; just a few tweaks can go a long way. Here are a few ideas.

• Offer sentence starters or graphic organizers for writing tasks.
• Provide word banks or read-aloud support for struggling readers.
• Let advanced students tackle a more complex problem or write from a different perspective.
• Use visuals, movement, or songs to reach multiple learning styles.
• Create a choice board where students choose their own tasks to complete.

Plan for Assessment

Assessment doesn’t necessarily mean a test, quiz, or creating a rubric. It can easily be something quick and informal like an exit ticket to check for understanding, a thumbs up or down, or even just observing students during guided practice. The ultimate goal is to see if students grasped the new information or if you have to reteach it.

Keep Track of Your Time

One of the hardest parts of lesson planning is figuring out how long everything will take. You’ll probably over-plan at first, which is actually a good thing. It’s better to have a backup activity than to finish 15 minutes early and have nothing to do.

Write down approximate times for each section of your lesson. This keeps your pacing on track and helps you stay focused. And don’t forget, transitions—moving from one task to another takes time, especially with younger students.

Build a Routine

91Ď㽶ĘÓƵ planning gets easier the more you do it. Eventually, you’ll find a rhythm that works for you. Some teachers like to plan everything for the week, while others do it day by day. You’ll figure out what works best for you in time.

Remember, templates can be a huge help, and keeping digital folders makes things even easier. Both let you tweak, reuse, and build off what you’ve already created, saving you time down the road. Once you find a format that works for you, stick with it and make small adjustments as needed. Over time, you’ll build a solid collection of lessons you can pull from without starting from scratch every time.

91Ď㽶ĘÓƵ planning is a skill that takes time to develop. The more you do it, the better you’ll get at it!

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Classroom Management and Student Engagement

Set Clear Expectations

Start by setting clear expectations; this is crucial. Your students need to know what is expected of them regarding behavior, participation, and homework. Spend the first few days establishing these rules and expectations. Use visual aids like behavior charts and punch cards to reinforce positive behavior and keep students engaged.

Be Consistent

Consistency is key when it comes to classroom management. If you’ve set rules, stick to them. Follow through with consequences for negative behavior and rewards for positive behavior. Systems like punch cards can be a fun way to reward good behavior and academic achievements for younger students, keeping them motivated and accountable. For older students, use a points-based system or incentives like a homework pass that aligns with their interests and maturity level. The key is to be consistent and fair, ensuring that every student understands the expectations and knows that positive behavior and hard work will be recognized and rewarded.

Utilize Technology Wisely

Incorporate technology to make learning more engaging and interactive. Platforms like Canva can be great for creating visually appealing presentations and assignments, while apps like Flip can be fun for students to express their thoughts and ideas through their own videos. Educational podcasts can also be a fantastic tool to supplement your lessons and keep students interested. Just ensure that technology enhances learning rather than distracting from it.

Make Learning Fun

Today’s children get bored real fast and it’s especially tough to keep them engaged in lessons. Try and incorporate technology into anything and everything that you can. Like it or not this is what motivates children. Also, teach to their ability. Once you know how they like to learn, you’ll find they will enjoy learning much more.

Professional Development and Growth

Observe! Observe! Observe!

As a new teacher, immerse yourself in learning by observing everything and everyone around you. Watch how fellow teachers manage their classrooms, engage their students, and design their lessons. The more you observe, the more insights you’ll gain. It’s a fantastic way to pick up tips and tricks that can help you grow and excel in your teaching journey.

Seek Mentorship

One of the best moves you can make as a new teacher is to find a mentor. Luckily, you’ll be surrounded by experienced teachers every day. When you find someone whose style you admire, don’t hesitate to ask if they’d be willing to share some of their wisdom with you. Just ensure that your chosen mentor’s values and educational philosophy align with yours. The last thing you want to do is find someone whose approach doesn’t resonate with you.

Reflect on Your Practice

Self-reflection is a powerful tool for growth. Set aside some time each day or week to jot down your thoughts and feelings about how things are going, both the highs and the lows. This practice can help you process your experiences, ease some of those first-year jitters, and provide you with valuable insights. When you look back a few years from now, you will most likely smile at your first trials and tribulations as a teacher.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail

Making mistakes is one of the hardest parts of being a new teacher. Remember the advice you give your students: it’s okay to fail because that’s how we learn. Apply that same advice to yourself. Some of your best lessons will come from your mistakes. When you stumble, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start again. Embrace the learning process, and you’ll grow stronger and more confident with each step.

Building Classroom Community

Build Strong Relationships

Building strong relationships with your students is vital. Take the time to listen to them, understand their needs, and show that you care. Establishing a strong rapport will make managing behavior easier and engage students in learning. Remember, students are more likely to thrive when they know their teacher believes in them. Building these connections is key to creating a dynamic and interactive classroom.

Foster a Positive and Inclusive Atmosphere

Creating a positive classroom community is essential for student success. Encourage kindness, respect, and collaboration among your students. Use activities and icebreakers to help students get to know each other and build trust. An inclusive atmosphere where students feel safe and supported will enhance their learning experience.

Celebrate Student Successes

Celebrate both big and small successes in your classroom. Recognize academic achievements, personal growth, and acts of kindness. Celebrations can be as simple as verbal praise, certificates, or a class party. Celebrating successes fosters a positive classroom environment and motivates students to strive for their best.

Communicate with Parents

Keeping an open line of communication with parents is key to building a strong classroom community. Use various methods to stay in touch, like email, a classroom website, newsletters, phone calls, and apps. These tools make it easy to keep parents informed and involved, fostering a supportive and connected environment for your students. When parents are in the loop, it strengthens the home-school connection and helps everyone work together to support students’ success.

Don’t forget to have fun. Oftentimes, new teachers are so busy trying to be the perfect teacher they forget to have fun and laugh. Every day try and live in the moment and appreciate your job and your students. Your first year of teaching is bound to be filled with challenges and triumphs. Embrace each experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. Stay passionate, stay curious, and most importantly, stay true to yourself.

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Challenges New Teachers Face

Here are just a few of the challenges new teachers face as they adapt to the reality of teaching:

Discipline

This is the number one challenge for many new teachers. The first shock from the ideal teaching environment that most have in mind will be that not all students are cooperative and kind. Also, many new teachers will simply not have experience with classroom management and discipline. Most supervising teachers already have a grip on classroom management and discipline when student-teachers arrive. Because of this, many new teachers feel completely unprepared for the task of dealing with classroom discipline.

Juggling Too Many Duties

Teachers wear so many hats. New teachers can be completely overwhelmed when they realize that they are not only the teacher, but also a counselor, nurse, resource provider, mentor, data analyst, etc. It is quite tricky to learn to juggle all of that while also trying to be the instructor, curriculum expert, and facilitator of learning.

Lack of Teamwork and Support

Unfortunately, many new teachers go into their first teaching job to find that they are completely on their own in navigating the rough waters of the first year of teaching. Many schools don’t have an effective (PLC) or a mentoring program established. Without collaboration among teachers, it is very difficult for a new teacher to find their way. In addition, many school districts don’t provide teachers with adequate resources to teach the required curriculum. New teachers end up trying to find appropriate materials without enough support from veteran teachers or administration.

Differentiation

New teachers have no doubt been taught in their undergraduate programs how important differentiation is. On top of looking for their own instructional materials, these teachers must also find materials that will meet the needs of a wide variety of abilities and learning styles.

Too Much Paperwork

91Ď㽶ĘÓƵ plans, data analysis, and maintaining documentation, for a wide variety of purposes, are just a few examples of the paperwork that new teachers have to keep up with. It is difficult enough for veteran teachers to manage. It can be nearly impossible for new teachers.

Feeling Inadequate

With all of the challenges listed above, new teachers can be left feeling very inadequate and as if their efforts are for nothing. It is very difficult for first year teachers to see significant learning gains while dealing with all of this. Many begin to feel that they may have chosen the wrong path.

Classroom Management for New Teachers

So, here are a few suggestions for routines and procedures that can help new teachers learn to conquer the challenges of managing their own classroom.

Reach Out to Veteran Teachers

As new teachers are tackling all these tasks, the guidance of veteran teachers can be invaluable. Reach out to some and ask for advice. They can provide many tips and tricks from all their years of experience. They can also help with resources for materials. By reaching out to other teachers, new relationships can be developed that will help novice teachers both professionally and emotionally.

Make Lists

For all the forms, data, records, and other daily tasks, new teachers can get organized by creating some lists to check off everyday. For me, even as a veteran teacher, I can’t keep up with all the tasks if I don’t have a list. Between progress monitoring, grade cards, marking papers and recording grades, progress reports, keeping in contact with parents, weekly class newsletters, etc., keeping a daily list is an absolute necessity.

Ask for Help

New teachers cannot be afraid to do this. They need to know that they can go to their principal, assistant principal, instructional coach, team leader, or mentor and ask for help. Most administrators know how overwhelming all the challenges are for new teachers and are willing to provide some relief from the weight of all the obstacles.

Establish Clear Expectations

New teachers must make sure that their expectations are made very clear from the beginning. It can be very helpful to have a parent meeting early on in the school year to let parents know what the rules and procedures are for the classroom. For the parents who can’t make it, teachers can give them a positive, upbeat phone call to introduce themselves and let them know how the classroom will operate. This can prevent a lot of problems and conflict later on. By establishing these expectations with both students and their families, teachers are able to be proactive.

Be Present

It may sound simple and obvious, but the teacher’s presence, just by walking around the room and monitoring, can make a huge difference in preventing misbehavior and disruption. It can also help students to stay on task. Another great idea is to greet students at the door at the beginning of every day or class period. This conveys a message to students that the teacher is excited and enthusiastic about the day ahead, which can be contagious!

Be Consistent

Whatever the rule or procedure, teachers must be sure to be consistent in enforcing them. Students find comfort and security in consistency.

Develop Relationships with Students

I believe this is one of the most important tips for new teachers and veteran teachers alike. As discipline can be the most overwhelming and discouraging part of teaching, developing sincere and genuine can make a huge difference in how the classroom operates and the overall classroom environment. As teachers invest in these relationships, students quickly learn that the teacher genuinely cares for them. It is much harder for a student to disregard instructions or lack effort when there is a strong connection between student and teacher.

Schedule Some Downtime

For new teachers, this is essential. So many that are brand new to the profession very quickly. This is the reason that we lose so many young teachers early on in their careers. The new teacher cannot spend all of their time on their job, even though there is easily enough work to fill up every minute of your day and still not get everything done.

But to prevent this, the novice teachers must take some time to walk away from those tasks. They must learn to sometimes put down the stack of papers or the plan book and watch a favorite show, curl up with a good book, or spend time with friends and family. This can be like a reset button for us as teachers. Walk away and get renewed, rested, and ready for the rewarding experiences ahead.

*Updated April 2021

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