Teacher planners are a hot topic of conversation in our We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Many members say they are constantly looking for the perfect teacher planner to help them manage their classes, meetings, activities, and personal lives. We sent some of the best planners to real teachers across the country to get their opinions and reviews on which ones are right for their teaching lives. Take a look and find your new favorite!
11 of our favorite teacher planners
1. Most recommended app: Happy Planner
Teachers absolutely love Happy Planner! This is the most recommended planner in the We Are Teachers Facebook group. You can customize it with stickers, folder pages, and other accessories. Planner box kits are a great option. You'll find everything you need in one big kit, including themed stickers and accessories.
“Happy Planner is fantastic,” said reviewer and fourth grade teacher Katie Williams. “The laminated front and back covers keep it looking new all year long and won't bend or tear when you put the planner in and out of your school bag. Being able to easily remove and reinsert pages is a huge plus! One of my favorite features is the spiral ring that holds the planner together. Often my teacher organizers used plastic or metal bindings that would bend or break over time.”
BUY IT: Happy Planner
2. Day Designer
If you're looking for options, Day Designer might be just what you're looking for in a teacher planner. In addition to beautiful cover designs, you can purchase daily, weekly, and monthly layouts.
Our reviewer, English teacher Christina Torres Cawdery, highlights the “beautiful, detailed pages” and “useful layout, planning details, and stickers.”
Buy: Day Designer Planner
3. Erin Condren Planner
Erin Condren, well-known among those who know a thing or two about planners, creates teacher planners that many swear by, posted on the We Are Teachers HELPLINE. These planners have weekly, monthly, and yearly planning tools. And you can choose spiral bound, soft bound, or binder pages.
“I really like the writing space that I can use every day,” says Bethany Petty, tester and high school social studies teacher. She says, “I love that I can write down my to-do list without feeling frustrated when I write! I also really like the thick quality of the paper.”
Buy: Teacher Lesson Planner
4. Plum Paper Planner
When Plum Paper says it has a “personalized” teacher planning program, we mean it. First, narrow down your choices by grade level (kindergarten, elementary school, middle/high school). Then choose from a variety of sizes and layouts, as well as dozens of customizable cover patterns. Customize your planner even further with pre-printed pages labeled with topics, times, and other details. A variety of accessories and additional features are also available. If you want a planner that meets very strict standards, Plum Paper is for you.
“I absolutely love Plum Paper Planner,” wrote reviewer and educator Brooke Blake. “It's perfect for organizing various aspects of your week – budgeting, meal prepping, to-do lists, top priorities, and more! The option to plan meals and add shopping lists has been a game changer for me. I also liked that I could design the layout of the week exactly how I wanted. I prefer a weekly option that includes a to-do list and a place for daily tasks. My Plum Paper Planner allows you to keep all the important details in one place, ultimately helping you become a more organized and effective educator!”
Buy: Plum Paper Planner
5. Bloom Teacher Planner
This planner covers the school year, giving you plenty of space for lesson plans, schedules, and more. The colorful cover is protected by a translucent plastic overlay, and the spiral binding allows the planner to lay flat for easy use. Additional pages also include report card spreads, sub-information, contact information, and field trip plans!
“I liked how it was colorful, but as a middle school teacher, I especially liked how it wasn’t too cute or childish,” wrote reviewer and special education teacher Amanda. “I think a lot of teacher supplies are made with elementary school teachers in mind. I found there was plenty of space to write down notes and plans, and I liked that I could easily adjust my daily schedule no matter how many classes I had in a day.”
Buy it: Bloom Planner
6. 4theloveofpi planner
If you're looking for a full-featured teacher planner, look no further. It's no wonder this custom planner gets repeated recommendations from teachers on We Are Teachers HELPLINE. Created by a middle school teacher who couldn't find a planner that suited her needs, the 4theloveofpi planner is a true masterpiece. With 150 cover choices, 8 layout options, and tons of additional features, this product is sure to please even the most demanding teachers. Watch this video for an in-depth look into the new world of organizations.
“I love coloring sheets that are seasonal and monthly,” wrote Julie Mason, a middle and high school English teacher. “Coloring is a great way to relieve the stress of teaching at the end of a day! I love quotes about teaching and learning. I like that the layout changes depending on the number of classes/subjects taught. I also like the to-do checklist on the back of the planner.”
BUY IT: 4theloveofpi Planner
7. Texas Planner Training
Created by teacher Bryce Sizemore, Teaching Texan offers a fully customizable planner designed specifically with teachers in mind. For example, you can choose whether you want your day to run horizontally or vertically, with space for personalized labels and data tracking for different topics.
Our tester elementary school teacher, Mrs. “I immediately felt more organized when I started using Texan Teaching planner,” Statum wrote. She said, “I love the clear, easy-to-read font, bright colors, included pockets, and the labels I chose at the top of each page!”
Buy: Texas Planner for Education
8. Berto & Company Draftsman
Berteau & Co. is another planner company created by teachers, for teachers. In this case, it's kindergarten teacher Greg Smedley-Warren. Berteau planners are known for their full-color pages and beautiful design, and include pages such as class birthday lists and parent-teacher communication records.
“I absolutely love colors,” wrote fifth-grade science teacher Amanda Christensen. “I also like that the lesson plan pages are not labeled,” she said. As someone who only teaches one subject, planners that already list the content area are generally not a good fit for me. “I think it’s really neat that the parent-teacher meeting log is displayed right in the planner.”
Buy it at: Berteau & Co. planner
9. Emily Ley’s Simplified Teacher Planner
Emily Ley is known for her beautiful and efficient planners. But did you know that she makes planners just for teachers? The undated teacher planner features useful lesson plans and calendar pages, as well as student checklists and more.
“Simply sublime times have color coding,” writes middle school English teacher Jen Partica. “I often use color when taking notes to help me remember and recall. You can see this in action in the weekly layout. There is also a part about self-evaluation called ‘preparation’ and drawing the big picture, which is surprisingly helpful. “Having it at the front of my planner allows me to regularly remind myself of my overarching goals, even as I scrutinize the day-to-day details.”
Buy: Simplified Teacher Planner
10. Legend Teacher Planner
Legend Teacher Planner includes monthly and weekly planning pages, a place for lists, and space to record grades and assignments, all in a stylish book format.
Beth Jarzabek, a middle school teacher, writes, “I liked that this is an 'all-in-one' planner that includes a communication journal, gradebook, goal-setting page (and much more!), as well as a monthly calendar and weekly planning page.” “The area for weekly planning (seven classes over five days) is large and there are no dates. If you don't see a date for a few weeks, you can start at any time and/or avoid 'losing' the page while on vacation. The planner itself is beautiful, with a faux leather cover (I chose rose gold) and plenty of space.”
Buy: Legendary Teacher Planner
11. Teacher-created resource planner
Teacher Created Resources offers planners in a variety of trendy designs, including the “It's Me, Hi, I'm the Teacher It's Me” version. All planners include lesson plans and monthly spreads, as well as tons of stickers to use in your planning.
“I love the stickers included,” elementary school teacher Morgan Mercado wrote. “I also like that the weekly pages have plenty of space to write. The student roster page is also helpful, but we only have 36 students.”
Buy: Resource Planner Made by Teachers