Top 5 Places to Get Lesson Plans in the UK
If you're a teacher, you likely feel pressure when it comes to planning lessons after school each day. You need a clear goal and structure for each lesson but also variety and an actual topic you would like to cover. It’s never easy to juggle so many tasks at once and lesson planning at pace can become a struggle.
But how might you alleviate some of this pressure in your next teaching role?
Online tools can help you plan lessons more effectively and avoid feeling the pressure of falling behind. Let’s look at some of the best places to get lesson plans in the UK!
Top 5 Places to Get Lesson Plans in the UK
1. EuHu
EuHu offers a selection of planning tools which can help you get more organised and plan lessons for the weeks ahead. The website features a simple drag and drop content builder and simple steps to help you create effective lessons. EuHu was also designed by teachers for teachers so you can expect features and benefits which simplify the process. For instance, ‘WOW lessons’ is a great feature which allows you to create editable lessons, and there are many assembly plan resources which you are free to download, copy and use as part of your own lessons. If you need ideas or inspiration, there are many articles and podcasts to explore and as if that’s not enough, EuHu is completely free to sign up and start using today!
2. Common Curriculum
Common Curriculum is a lesson planner that helps you get rid of the binder and go digital with planning lessons. While the website is largely focused on time management, this website is excellent for collaboration and features a wide range of lesson templates. This means you can create templates from scratch to suit your own teaching style or perhaps edit existing lesson plans to include whatever you need to teach.
Common Curriculum is also compatible with Dropbox and Google Docs and can help improve your timing and organisation. But what about downsides? Common Curriculum is not yet compatible with tablets so better integration is needed and some minor formatting issues will hopefully be rectified in the future.
3. ClassFlow
ClassFlow is an interactive platform that can help teachers create and share curated lessons. The platform features a marketplace from which teachers are free to retrieve ideas and lesson plans and the extent of this content is impressive. There are also many interactive features such as a digital whiteboard, multiple choice questions and assessment tools. After a short learning curve, teachers can also use existing lessons to design their own and ClassFlow provides step-by-step instructions on how everything is done. ClassFlow is also ideal for distance learning but with limited accessibility features, it is only suitable for ages 9-10 and up.
4. Planboard
Planboard is a digital lesson planner that lets you upload photos, videos, and files to create interactive lessons. It has an easy-to-understand interface and lesson templates which you can use or edit. The editor is also relatively easy to use, and teachers can share lessons via Google Classroom integrations. Although more popular in the United States and Canada, Planboard is also designed for international standards and helps you create, plan and organise lessons on any device.
5. Planbook Edu
Planbook Edu is a free lesson planner which almost acts like a digital version of a paper book. However, the lessons are cloud based which means you can never ‘forget your binder’ and you can quickly change and edit every detail. In fact, the extent of detail really makes this lesson planner stand out because it not only provides administrative options but also insights that show student views and engagement. You can also embed videos, photos and PDFs in each lesson and collaborate by sharing this content with fellow teachers. Although this planning tool is free, the notable downside of Planbook Edu is the absence of pre-made lessons.
Final Thoughts
As the role of planning tools evolves, teachers can significantly improve how they plan, create, and organise their lessons. Some of these platforms even include pre-made lessons and resources which provide invaluable ideas for future content. Ineffective time management can also leave teachers feeling stressed but planning tools can improve time management and ensure you avoid falling behind when it comes to planning lessons. Either way, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking time to plan, create and deliver your daily lessons more effectively.