Teacher planners are a hot topic of conversation on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group. Educators are always in search of the perfect planner, one that will help them keep up with lessons, meetings, activities, and maybe even their personal lives too. We rounded up the planners teachers recommend most to one another. Take a look and find your own new favorite!
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
The Happy Planner
Teachers simply adore the Happy Planner! They recommend this brand more than any other on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group. Brooke R. gushes, “Love my Happy Planner! It’s awesome. Plenty of room for lesson planning! I bought notes pages and folder inserts, so I take it to meetings and use it to take notes, write dates, and keep any handouts I’m given!”
Look through the many customizable layouts and choose one that’s right for you. There’s a category just for teacher planners, but be sure to check out other options too. Then add stickers, folder pages, and other accessories, and keep them all together with binder discs that come in a variety of colors and sizes. Planner box kits are a cool option—find everything you need in one big kit, including themed stickers and accessories.
Buy it: The Happy Planner
Day Designer Planners
If options are what you seek, Day Designer might be exactly what you’re looking for in a teacher planner. In addition to beautiful cover designs, they have daily, weekly, and monthly layouts available for purchase. WeAreTeachers HELPLINE teacher Melanie E. also provided an awesome tip about Day Designer, sharing “[the] website has tons of planning pages you can download for free. I love them!”
Buy it: Day Designer
Blue Sky Teacher Lesson Planner
This brand is another perennial favorite among experienced teachers. Blue Sky makes a wide variety of planners in different styles. Their teacher planners include monthly calendar pages and weekly pages, with plenty of room to write individual class plans. You’ll also find handy teacher reference pages like class birthdays and contact info. Choose from floral, polka dots, or plain black covers. You may also like Blue Sky’s Academic Year planner, made for teachers and students.
Buy it: Blue Sky
Erin Condren Planners
Well-known among anyone familiar with planners, Erin Condren makes teacher planners that many people posting on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE swear by. Jenn R. “loves the layout” of her Erin Condren planner, and Kyla S. appreciated being able to set up her planner the way she prefers to plan, “vertically, not horizontally.”
For the upcoming school year, Erin Condren teacher planners will include weekly, monthly, and yearly planning, lesson planning and goal-setting sections, and more. Additionally, teachers can select planners that are spiral bound, softbound, or even planner pages that fit into binders.
Buy it: Erin Condren
Kdigitalstudio Digital Planners
Mandi R. warns other teachers on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE, “digital planning is so addictive – so beware!” Kdigitalstudio digital teacher planners are designed to work best with tablets or laptops. There are numerous templates available to make your planner really work for you. Different pages allow you to keep track of learning objectives, plan projects and essays, keep track of class information, and more. If you’re worried about missing out on the fun decorative touches like stickers and pretty covers, don’t worry! Those are included too. Additionally, your digital planner comes with access to video tutorials and how-to guides to help those of us who might be new to digital planning.
Buy it: Kdigitalstudio
Plum Paper Teacher Planners
When Plum Paper says “personalized” teacher planners, they truly mean it. First, narrow your choices by grade level (Pre-K, Elementary, or Middle/High). Then choose from multiple sizes and layouts, plus dozens of personalizable cover patterns. Customize your planner further with preprinted pages showing subjects, times, and other details. You’ll also find a variety of accessories and add-ons. If you want a planner that meets your very exacting standards, Plum Paper is the way to go.
Buy it: Plum Paper
Elan Teacher Planners
When you’re looking for a quality basic planner, Elan is one of our favorite go-to options. Elan understands that some teachers prefer planners with days listed horizontally across the top, while others like the days listed down the side. They also offer six-, seven-, and 8-period versions, so you’ll have the space you need no matter how many classes you teach each day. There’s even an oversized option with fold-out pages for those who need more space to squeeze everything in.
Buy it:
- 7-Period Planner (Horizontal Days), Blue Cover
- Combination Plan and Record Book, Gold Dots Turquoise
- 6-Period Planner (Vertical Days), Floral Cover
- 6-Period Extra Large Teacher Plan Book
Bloom Planners
These undated planners cover an academic year, giving you plenty of space for lessons plans, scheduling, and more. The colorful cover (four options available) is protected by a frosted plastic overlay, and the spiral binding allows the planner to lay flat for easy use. Extra pages include grade-book spreads, sub info, contacts, and even field trip planners!
Buy it: Bloom Planners
Teacher Coloring Planner
Planning can be stressful, so we love this planner that incorporates coloring pages and borders that are perfect for mindful relaxation. The planning pages are ample, with both monthly and weekly spreads. Other welcome additions include a folder page and space for notes, holidays, and birthdays.
Buy it: Teacher Coloring Plan Book
Aim High Teacher Planner
Made by Carson Dellosa Publishing, this planner has been designed by a company that has been creating teacher materials for over 40 years. The planner is undated, which is perfect for those of us who tend to stop and start in our planning, or maybe who want to start in July (or December) instead of August or September. It contains communication logs, substitute information, and a notes section. Jolene M. stated, “I love that this planner comes with a graph paper section! I use it to plan seating charts and anytime I feel like moving my classroom around.”
Buy it: Aim High Planner
Home Sweet Classroom Planner
Love stickers? This is your planner! You get more than 300 stickers to really personalize this planner and make it your own. It includes academic year monthly spreads and 40 weekly page spreads for lesson planning.
Buy it: Home Sweet Classroom Planner
Maalbok Teacher Planner
If you don’t want to spend a whole lot, Maalbok’s planner is a smart choice. It includes monthly and weekly spreads for an entire year. There are pages for special dates and birthdays, weekly activities, and reference info. The spiral binding allows it to lay flat to make writing in it easier.
Buy it: Maalbok Planner
Emmeline Bloom Teacher Planner
Looking for a bargain planner? This basic option won’t break the bank. You don’t get a spiral binding or many bells and whistles, but it’ll cover most of your needs. It has hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon, so this is definitely a teacher’s top pick.
Buy it: Emmeline Bloom Planner
Daily Plan Book for Preschool
Pre-K teachers have different planning needs, and this book is designed just for them. It’s nice and big with a bright cover, so it won’t get lost in the clutter on your desk. There are additional pages for student details, sub info, classroom layouts, birthdays, and much more.
Buy it: Daily Plan Book for Preschool
Have we missed your favorite planner? Share your thoughts on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.
Plus, check out these 35 Best Teacher Bags with options for every budget and style.
