From test scores to attendance records to complicated lesson plans, teachers have lots of things to keep track of. The best teacher planner book options in 2020 all provide teachers with a single book where they can track and store this important information throughout the academic year.
But how do you know which teacher planner book is really best?
When there is so much to organize, it can be hard even knowing where to start. That’s where our guide comes in. These top 5 teacher planner book options stand out for their incredibly useful features, and they’re sure to benefit any teacher who needs some extra organization.
Let’s take a closer look.
Top 5 Best Teacher Planner Book in 2021
Comparison Chart
Blue Sky 2021-2022 Academic Year Teachers Weekly & Monthly Lesson Planner, 8.5″ x 11″, Flexible Cover, Wirebound, Dots (100330-A22)
HARDCOVER Combination Plan and Record Book: One efficient 8-1/2″ x 11″ Book for Lesson Plans and Grades Combines W101 and R1010 (PR7-10) (+) Bonus Clip-in Bookmark (Gold Dots Turquoise)
1. Blue Sky Academic Year Teachers Plan Book
This super affordable academic year planner is perfect for teachers of students of any age and provides the tools that you need to get organized and succeed as an educator.
The major highlight of this planner is the overall organization. The planner has coated tabs that section off each monthly at-a-glance view.
Then, there are weekly pages with sections for each day.
Every day has nine different spaces, so even a teacher with many classes and meetings has room for everything!
Another great thing about this planner is the different colors used throughout.
On daily pages, the different colors separate different days and subjects. You can find what you’re looking for more quickly thanks to this subtle design feature.
Additionally, the planner has space to record birthdays, holidays and weekly activity schedules, and there’s a huge notes section for your own personal notes. The planner does lack grading sections, but these would typically be recorded digitally anyways!
Finally, it should be mentioned that some editions of this planner have been released with errors in them. If you should happen to end up with a planner containing errors, Blue Sky will replace it without hesitation, so you don’t need to worry too much about this possibility.
Pros
- Good overall organization
- Coated monthly tabs
- Daily grids with 9 sections
- Good for multiple subjects
Cons
- No grading section
- Some continuity errors
2. House of Doolittle Teachers Planner with Seating Chart
This leatherette teaching book is probably one that you or your parents remembering seeing while you were in school.
The book has a classic look but handles the modern challenges of teaching well.
This House of Doolittle Teachers Planner has one thing that many teacher books do not: a dedicated space for seating charts!
This makes it easy to write down a seating chart. Not only will this help you learn students’ names, it can help any substitute teacher quickly figure things out too.
Another good thing about this planner is that it does not come pre-dated. While some may not like this, it actually makes it a more flexible tool. If you only use it for a few classes or only teach a few weeks of the year, you can use this planner over several academic years, which would save you a lot of money.
In addition to a seating chart, this planner has multiple teacher-specific pages that allow them to track more specific student information. This is a great tool for organizing, and you can keep everything in one place so you don’t have to continuously look it up when you need it.
Pros
- Teacher-specific organization pages
- Not pre-dated
- Dedicated seating chart area
- Up to seven periods per day
Cons
- Plastic cover
- Binding can bend easily
3. Class Record Book for 12 Weeks
For those who prefer to keep things old school, this record book is the perfect teacher’s tool for recording assignment scores and overall class grades throughout a grading period.
This undated class record book provides a ton of space and structure for recording grades over a 12-week period.
There are 34 spreads in the book, so you can record a full academic year of grades for up to 11 classes in this one small book. The structure keeps things organized and functional without any extra work on your part.
Another benefit of the book is the daily schedule section. Let’s face it, sometimes even the teacher forgets their schedule! Keep it and some other useful info written in the front part of this record book. You can even jot down birthdays and school field trip dates using the space here so you’ll be able to easily find the information in the future.
One potential drawback of this book is that it is a bit larger than a standard piece of printer paper, which some may find inconvenient. Additionally, the final grade section is a long way from the students’ first name, so this can get tedious. Beyond that, it’s an incredibly useful tool!
Pros
- Up to 40 student names
- 34 pages for grade recording
- Teacher daily schedule section
- Not pre-dated
Cons
- Large
- Final grade too far to the right side
4. Hardcover Combination Plan and Record Book
While many teachers find that they need both a record book and a planner, this combines the best of both worlds. There is space for planning up to 7 lessons a day and a record-keeping book for 10-week periods.
This combination planner/record book really is the best of both worlds. The daily breakdown schedule is printed horizontally, which is very convenient.
Additionally, the actual record book holds 10-week grades for up to 50 students at a time.
All the planning and grade-tracking that teachers need to do can be handled in this single notebook!
The construction of the book itself is also quite good. The paper is thick, so you don’t have to worry about being able to see the lines through the other side. Additionally, the binding keeps the pages in place. If you do want to remove pages you are finished with, it’s easy to use a paper cutter to do so.
One drawback of the book is that you don’t get as many pages as you would if you kept the planner and the record keeper separate. Still, there are more than enough pages for both planning and grading, so it’s not a huge issue.
Pros
- Up to 50 student names
- Grades on a 10-week period
- Includes both planner and grade recorder
- Thick paper
Cons
- Not as many pages of each
- Grading blocks are small so can be hard to write in
5. Hardcover Combination Plan and Record Book
This choice is particularly interesting for new elementary school or homeschool teachers who are still finding their way in the lesson-planning world.
This Teacher Plan Book is a 96-page book which has room for both weekly and daily breakdowns of lessons.
The days go down the page and the times go across the page, which is different from many planners, but some teachers prefer this layout.
The book also includes an informational section about different ways to use the book which can be incredibly beneficial.
Finding the perfect planning method can take years of work, so this planner aims to simplify that process.
One drawback of the book is that it can feel quite childish in design. If you are looking for something more mature or sophisticated, look elsewhere.
Pros
- Includes tips on using the planner
- Days listed vertically rather than horizontally
- Not pre-dated
- Lots of space for writing things in
Cons
- Childish design
- No monthly overviews
Final Words
Out of these top five candidates for the title of best teacher planner, the Blue Sky Academic Year Teachers Plan Book stands out as the best of the best. This planner has the most space and best overall organization for tracking the lesson schedules for multiple classes, in multiple subjects, all year round! If you are shopping ahead, next year’s academic year version can be found here!
A great alternative to the Blue Sky Academic Year Teachers Plan Book is the Elan Combination Plan and Record Book. This book combines two books you’ll need as a teacher (a planner and a record book) so that you don’t have to carry both around. The combination makes sense and is super easy to use.
No matter which of these top planners you decide to use as a teacher, remember that you can always change your planner. Don’t stress about it. Just choose a planner and get organized as soon as possible!
