- Lesson plan sources teachers can use
- How the four lesson plan sources line up
- Pick the planning period before the layout
- Building your first plan from a template
- What goes in each box of a lesson plan
- Printed plans or a digital planbook
- Where AI fits in your planning
- My advice for busy teachers
- Frequently asked questions
The short version: you can get a free lesson plan template from Canva, Visme, Fotor and Notion. Visme, Fotor and Notion each list a free plan. Fotor has preschool, high school, daily and weekly layouts, Visme includes unit-style plans, Notion suits plans you keep and reuse digitally, and Canva offers designed templates you can personalise in minutes. Pick your planning period first, then the source.
Teachers I talk to don't struggle with what to teach. They struggle with the time it takes to write it all down, week after week. A good template won't plan the lesson for you, but it will stop you rebuilding the same table every Sunday evening. Here's where to get one for free and how to choose.
Lesson plan sources teachers can use
In no particular order:
- Canva: best for a designed plan you can personalise in minutes, covering what to teach and when.
- Visme: best for unit and training module plans you customise in its Lesson Plan Maker.
- Fotor: best for choosing by level and period, with preschool, high school, daily and weekly layouts.
- Notion: best for a digital framework that takes in lectures and interactive activities for every class.
How the four lesson plan sources line up
| Source | Best for | Free plan (as of Nov 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Canva | Designed plans you personalise quickly | Not stated |
| Fotor | Preschool, high school, daily and weekly layouts | Yes |
| Notion | Digital plans for lectures and activities | Yes |
| Visme | Unit and training module plans | Yes |
Pages and plans change, so check the vendor's own page before you rely on a limit.
Pick the planning period before the layout
Here's the thing most people skip. A lesson plan template is a choice of format before it's a choice of tool. Fotor's page splits its templates into preschool, high school, daily and weekly lesson plans. Canva describes the lesson plan as the educator's guide to what to teach and when, mapping out every lesson for a set period. Notion's lesson plan templates are about structuring lectures and organising interactive activities, so they lean towards a plan you keep adding to. Visme includes a unit context plan for making sure learners know what a training module covers.
So start with the period you plan in. If you plan one lesson at a time, a daily layout is the right fit. If you plan a week on a Sunday, go for a weekly layout with a column for each day. If you're mapping a whole unit or module, you'll want the unit style, then daily plans underneath it. Once you know which one you need, the right source picks itself.
Building your first plan from a template
- Decide your planning period: a single lesson, a week or a whole unit.
- Choose a source with that layout. Fotor for a daily or weekly page by level, Visme for unit plans, Notion if you want everything in one digital space, Canva for a designed printable.
- Strip out any boxes you won't use, so the template fits the way you teach.
- Fill in the learning objective first, then the activities, then the resources you'll need.
- Save a blank copy before you write anything, so you can reuse it next week.
- Look back at the plan after the lesson and note what worked, while it's fresh.
What goes in each box of a lesson plan
Most templates use similar headings, and it's worth being clear on what belongs where. I'd keep it to these:
- Objective: what your pupils should know or be able to do by the end, in one sentence.
- Starter: a short opening task that gets everyone thinking.
- Main activities: the core of the lesson, in the order you'll run them.
- Resources: worksheets, slides and equipment, so nothing's missing on the day.
- Check for understanding: how you'll know the lesson landed.
- Notes: anything to change next time.
Fotor says you can change colours and fonts, add icons, stickers and images, and replace text in its templates, so you can make the layout match these headings. Visme says you simply choose the lesson plan that fits your needs and customise everything in its Lesson Plan Maker. Either way, edit the template once and reuse it.
Printed plans or a digital planbook
It's also worth deciding whether your plan lives on paper or on screen. Canva and Fotor suit a designed page you print and keep in a folder on your desk. Notion suits a running digital planbook, where each class sits in one framework and you can link lectures and activities together as the term goes on. If you share planning with colleagues, a digital plan is easier to pass around and update.
Where AI fits in your planning
A template gives you the structure. AI can help you fill it faster, as long as you check what it writes. My list of free AI tools for teachers is a good place to start, and I've put together ChatGPT prompts for lesson plans that slot neatly into the boxes above. If you tutor rather than teach a full class, these AI tools for tutors are built for smaller groups.
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My advice for busy teachers
Don't download five templates and spend an evening comparing them. Pick the planning period you use, take one free template that matches it, and make it yours. A plan you'll reuse every week is worth far more than a beautiful one you'll abandon by half term.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I get free lesson plan templates?
Canva, Visme, Fotor and Notion all have lesson plan template pages. Visme, Fotor and Notion each list a free plan on their own sites.
What should a lesson plan template include?
Canva describes a lesson plan as the educator's guide to what to teach and when. Most templates cover the objective, activities, resources and a check on learning.
Is there a free lesson plan template for preschool or high school?
Yes. Fotor lists preschool and high school lesson plan templates, along with daily and weekly layouts.
Can I reuse a lesson plan template every week?
Yes. Save a blank copy before you fill it in. Fotor's weekly lesson plan templates and Notion's digital templates both suit a plan you come back to.
Is Notion free for lesson plans?
Notion lists a free plan for individuals on its own site, and its lesson plan templates cover everything from structuring lectures to organising interactive activities.
Can AI write a lesson plan for me?
AI can draft the content, but you'll still want a template to hold it and a teacher to check it. Use the template for the structure and AI to speed up the writing.
