Previously, I shared a post about how I use a Google Docs template to plan my lessons one week at a time. Spoiler Alert: This year I switched to a Google Sheets Lesson Plan Template! I still love the Google Docs template, but with a school district mandate that we submit lesson plans, I had to streamline my efforts. You see, I was planning using my previous template, and then having to share a separate Google Doc. (One that includes all of the extra things my school looks for in a lesson plan.) This meant an entire additional step in my lesson planning process, and I couldn’t keep up with it any longer.
The solution? Complete lesson plans once. To lesson plan, I think in weekly blocks, and I need a lesson plan template that allows me to do that, while incorporating all of the requirements set by my school. This is where Google Sheets came in.
Why use a Google Sheets Lesson Plan Template?
Since Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application, I can add a ton of information. Also, it’s seamless design allows my information to go as far as it needs to. In my Google Docs template, I was bound by my 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.
Best of all, my Google Sheets Lesson Plan Template is one file. Using Google Docs required either a ton of scrolling to find where I wanted to be, or (what I chose) 40 different documents for an entire school year. Google Sheets, however, has tabs on the bottom of the spreadsheet for additional sheets. Each week has its own sheet, so rather than scrolling through a 40 page document, I can scroll through the sheet tabs and find my current week easily. (You could also choose to keep your current week front and center.) Additionally, Google Sheets lesson plans are very easy to share with administrators, co-teachers, and anyone else that needs access to your plans.
How to Plan Lessons in Google Sheets:
The hardest part was setting up the template. I choose to have my days of the week down the first column, and each component of a lesson plan required by my school across the top row. When I’m ready to lesson plan, I simply duplicate my sheet for the new week, and type the current information into each cell. It really is that easy. Also, it is so much quicker than creating a Google Doc for my weekly plans, and then separate Google Docs for each lesson plan.
Bonus Google Sheets n Tips:
Just like any Google application, Google Sheets is very easy to use, and anything you can’t figure out, you can Google how to do.
Here are a few bonus tips to get you started:
- Text wrap is your best friend. Select the text wrap option so that all of the text you type into a cell appears. Nothing is more annoying than when your text is cut off.
- Color code your cells. I try to use this feature lightly so that it’s clear when I’ve used it. For days where I don’t have formal plans (like a day where I have a sub), I shade the background of the cells for that day in gray. At the top of my sheet, I color coded the components of my lessons. (This isn’t necessary, but it makes me happy.)
- Color code your sheet tabs. If you right click on the tabs at the bottom of your spreadsheet, you can rename them and change their colors. I name all of my tabs by the week. Last year, I colored my tabs by month. However, this year, I want to color code them by unit.
Get a Quick Start with Google Sheets
If you would like to give a Google Sheets Lesson Plan Template a try, check out the one I have available in my store. It will save you time of having to set everything up, and you can easily customize it to fit your needs. (A quick-start guide to help you make any changes in included.)
Happy planning!
