Create Lesson Plan Templates You’ll Actually Use
- Rea Weeks
- Aug 9
- 3 min read
✨ Say goodbye to overwhelm and hello to a planning system that works for you.
Let’s be honest: planning lessons can feel like juggling flaming markers while trying to remember what day it is. Between keeping students engaged, hitting objectives, and staying organized, it’s easy for your planner to turn into a graveyard of half-finished templates and forgotten printables.
But here’s the good news:You can create lesson plan templates in Canva that are beautiful, functional, and (most importantly) totally customized to your teaching style.
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, homeschool hero, or creating your own curriculum from scratch — this post will walk you through designing a lesson plan template you’ll actually want to use.
No boring spreadsheets required. ✏️ Let’s make planning feel good again!
💡 Why Make Your Own Lesson Plan Templates?
When you DIY your templates in Canva, you get to:
Customize the layout to fit your routine
Make it match your aesthetic or brand
Keep everything digital or printable
Add visuals, colors, or prompts that keep you motivated
Build a planning system you’ll stick with week after week
✨ Because let’s be real — the best template is the one you’ll use on a busy Monday morning.
🛠 What You’ll Need
A free Canva account
A list of what YOU want in your lesson plan (think: objectives, materials, standards, activities, assessment, etc.)
Optional: a printer or tablet, depending on how you’ll use it
Let’s build your dream layout from scratch!
📝 Step-by-Step: How to Create Your Lesson Plan Template in Canva
1. Choose Your Canvas Size
Start a new Canva design:
8.5x11 in for printables (US Letter size)
1920x1080 px or tablet screen size for digital use
This will be your master template — the one you’ll duplicate and reuse each week.
2. Map Out the Sections You Need
Every teacher’s brain works a little differently — so this is where you can make your planner yours. Some popular sections:
🗓 Date or Week
🎯 Learning Objective
🧠 Standards or Skills
🧰 Materials Needed
✍️ Warm-Up or Bell Ringer
🎨 Main Activity
🔁 Differentiation or Accommodations
📝 Assessment or Exit Ticket
💬 Notes & Reflections
💡 You can make a full-page daily plan or a weekly overview that fits multiple subjects.
3. Style It to Match Your Vibe
This is the fun part. Bring your personality into your template by choosing:
Fonts that are clean but fun (like Canva’s “Schoolbell” or “Quicksand”)
Bright colors or pastels that motivate you
Fun icons or illustrations (Canva has SO many teacher-friendly graphics!)
Your name, grade, or subject area in the header
🎨 Make it look like something you'd actually be excited to fill out on a Sunday night.
4. Save It as a Template You Can Reuse
Once you’ve got your layout:
Click Share > Template Link to reuse or share with others
Or Download as a PDF to fill out by hand or add fillable fields in a PDF editor
You can also duplicate the page inside Canva each week and edit right there!
🧠 Bonus: Save all your weekly lesson plans in a single Canva file to keep things tidy and easy to scroll.
💌 Join My Mailing List for Freebies + Creative Prompts
Want a free character profile template to get started?Join my email list and get:
A printable + digital character sheet
Monthly creative freebies and Canva tips
First access to new Etsy launches
Encouraging emails for your writing + storytelling journey
Let’s make writing feel like a cozy adventure again. ✍️✨
🛍 Need More Teaching Templates, Planners & Printables?
Check out my Etsy shop! I’ve got:
Canva lesson plan templates
Weekly overviews for teachers + homeschoolers
Printable student trackers and behavior charts
Custom reward systems and planner pages
Journaling kits and seasonal resources
🛒 Explore it all here:
Everything is made with love and designed to keep your creative teaching life running smoothly — without burnout.
💛 Final Thoughts
You deserve a planning system that makes your life easier, not more stressful.
Whether you're managing a classroom of 30, homeschooling one curious learner, or building curriculum from scratch — your lesson plans should support you, not exhaust you.
So go ahead: open Canva. Create a layout that works for your brain. Make it cute. Make it simple. Make it fun to use.
And most of all — make it yours. 💛
You’ve got this,
Rea 🌻Creator of A Rea of Treasures
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