Teacher planners are a hot topic of conversation in the We Are Teachers HELPLINE group on Facebook. Many members say they’re constantly in search of the perfect teacher planner, one that will help them keep up with lessons, meetings, activities, and their personal lives too. We sent some of the top planners to real teachers across the country to get their opinions and reviews on which ones stand up to teacher life. Take a look at what they chose, and find your own new favorite!
Teachers’ 11 Favorite Planners
Katie Williams for We Are Teachers
1. Most recommended: The Happy Planner
Teachers simply adore the Happy Planner! It’s the most recommended planner in the We Are Teachers Facebook group. It’s customizable for stickers, folder pages, and other accessories. Planner box kits are a cool option—find everything you need in one big kit, including themed stickers and accessories.
“The Happy Planner is fantastic,” says our reviewer, 4th grade teacher Katie Williams. “Its laminated front and back covers keep it looking new all year and will not bend or rip when the planner is taken in and out of my school bag. Pages can easily be removed and reinserted, which is a huge bonus! One of my favorite features is the spiral rings holding the planner together. Often, my teacher planners have had plastic or metal binding that, over time, bends or breaks.”
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.
Our reviewer, English teacher Christina Torres Cawdery, calls out the “beautifully detailed pages” and the “useful layouts, planning details, and stickers.”
Well-known among anyone familiar with planners, Erin Condren makes teacher planners that many people posting on the We Are Teachers HELPLINE swear by. These planners have weekly, monthly, and yearly planning tools. And you can select spiral-bound, softbound, or binder pages.
“I LOVE the writing space available on each day,” says our tester, high school social studies teacher Bethany Petty. “It’s nice to keep track of my to-do list without having to be cramped when I write! I also really like the thick quality of the paper.”
When Plum Paper says “personalized” teacher planners, they truly mean it. First, narrow your choices by grade level (pre-K, elementary, or middle/high school). 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.
“I absolutely love my Plum Paper Planner,” writes our reviewer, educator Brooke Blake. “It is perfect for being able to organize so many aspects of my week such as budgeting, meal prepping, to-do lists, top priorities, and more! The meal-planning and shopping list add-on option has been a game changer for me. I also liked that I could design the layout of my week exactly as I wanted. For me, I prefer a weekly option that includes places for a to-do list as well as daily tasks. My Plum Paper Planner allows me to have all my important details in one place, ultimately making me a more organized and effective educator!”
These planners cover an academic year, giving you plenty of space for lessons plans, scheduling, and more. The colorful cover 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.
“I loved that it was colorful, but as a secondary teacher, I especially liked that it is not too cutesy or childish,” writes our reviewer, special education teacher Amanda. “Many teacher supplies seem like they are made with elementary teachers in mind. I found that there is plenty of space for writing notes and plans, and I like that the daily timetable is easily adaptable for however many class periods there are in a day.”
If you are looking for a teacher planner with all the bells and whistles, look no further. It is no surprise that this customizable planner comes highly recommended by teachers repeatedly on the We Are Teachers HELPLINE. Created by a middle school teacher who could never find a planner that fit her needs, 4theloveofpi planners are true masterpieces. With 150 cover choices, eight layout options, and numerous available add-ons, this is guaranteed to satisfy even the most finicky teacher. Check out this video for an in-depth look into a new world of organization.
“I love the coloring sheets that are seasonal and for each month,” writes middle and high school English teacher Julie Mason. “Coloring is an excellent way to de-stress from teaching at the end of the day! I love the quotations about teaching and learning. It’s nice that there are different layouts depending on the number of classes/subjects you teach. I also love the to-do checklists in the back of the planner.”
Created by teacher Bryce Sizemore, the Teaching Texan offers completely customizable planners designed especially with teachers in mind. You can choose whether your days run horizontally or vertically, for example, along with personalized labels for different subjects and space for data tracking.
“I immediately felt more organized with my Teaching Texan planner,” writes our tester elementary teacher Mrs. Statum. “I love the clear, easy-to-read fonts, bright colors, included pockets, and the labels I chose at the top of each page!”
Berteau & Co. is another planner company created by teachers for teachers—in this case, kindergarten teacher Greg Smedley-Warren. Berteau planners are known for their full-color pages and beautiful design, along with included pages such as a class birthday list and parent-teacher conference log.
“I absolutely love the colors,” writes 5th grade science teacher Amanda Christensen. “I also enjoy that the lesson plan pages are not labeled. As someone who only teaches one subject, planners that have the content areas listed out already do not normally apply to me. I also think it is really neat to have the parent-teacher conference logs right there in the planner.”
Emily Ley is known for their beautiful, streamlined planners—but did you know they make one just for teachers? Their undated teacher planner offers helpful lesson-planning and calendar pages, as well as student checklists and more.
“There is a color coding with the days that is simply sublime,” writes middle school English teacher Jen Partica. “I use color often in my note-taking to aid in memory and recall. You can see this in action on the weekly layout. There is a self-evaluation and big-picture-planning section called ‘Prep’ that is also surprisingly helpful. It’s in the front of the planner so I can regularly be reminded of my comprehensive goals even when steeped in the day-to-day details.”
The Legend Teacher Planner has monthly and weekly planning pages, places for lists, and space to record grades and assignments, all in a sleek book format.
“I loved that this is an ‘all in one’ planner containing a communication log, grade book, and goal-setting pages (and much more!) as well as monthly calendars and weekly planning pages,” writes middle school teacher Beth Jarzabek. “The areas for weekly planning (seven classes for five days) are roomy and undated. Having the weeks undated leaves you the option to start at any time and/or not ‘lose’ pages for vacations. The planner itself is beautiful, with a faux leather cover (I chose rose gold) and lots of room.”
Teacher Created Resources offers planners with a number of trendy designs, including this “It’s Me, Hi. I’m the Teacher. It’s Me.” version. All planners include lesson-planning and monthly spreads, as well as tons of stickers to use along with your planning.
“I love the stickers included,” writes elementary teacher Morgan Mercado. “I also love how there’s plenty of room to write on the weekly pages. The student roster pages are also helpful, but know there’s only room for 36 students.”
Finding the absolutely right planner sometimes takes a lot of trial and error. If you’re still looking for the perfect one, why not start with our free weekly to-do lists?
