You spent countless hours in college learning how to write the “perfect” lesson plan—but when was the last time you actually used one in real life? Sure, some schools require teachers to submit them, but many of us rarely carve out time to complete them. We’re juggling classroom management, prepping materials, and getting student work on display. Plus, lesson planning can feel like busywork, especially if no one else is looking at it.
So why do we need to do it at all?
Do I need to rethink the role of lesson plans?
Lesson plans shouldn’t feel like extra work. At their core, they’re tools to help you feel confident and prepared in your classroom. Writing a plan allows you to think through objectives, materials, assessments, and differentiation before you’re in the thick of teaching. It ensures you’ve considered the full scope of your students’ learning and needs, and it keeps small but critical details from slipping through the cracks.
Great ideas often flop when they aren’t backed by thoughtful planning. Structuring your lessons beforehand lays the foundation for student success. Reflect on your most recent lesson. Did students grasp the skills and concepts? Do you need to adapt anything for next time? Writing lesson plans with strategies like backward design can help you intentionally scaffold learning toward your end goals.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with where to start, read on for more tips to streamline your process. We also have you covered! FLEX Curriculum contains fully vetted, K-12 standards-aligned lesson plans created by a wide variety of art teachers. You can easily search and filter by grade level, media, technique, and more. Lessons even contain differentiation strategies and assessments, bringing comprehensive instruction to your classroom door.
Why do I need to include so much in my lesson plan?
Strong lesson plans have a lot of components. Standards, vocabulary, differentiation strategies, material lists, and more. Plus, what’s the difference between learning objectives and learning targets anyway? It’s hard to know what’s essential and what’s optional. Let’s break down some of the major parts so you can gain confidence and impact more students.
Standards, Objectives, and Learning Targets
Lesson planning helps ensure you’re meeting required standards across the curriculum. It’s easy to miss a benchmark when you’re deep in the throes of a buzzing classroom project. Take five minutes to do a quick check of the standards. Adjust your approach by slipping in a critique or restructuring an activity to hit a standard and encourage deeper learning.
Learning objectives are clear, specific, and often overarching statements that describe what students should know or be able to do by the end of a course, unit, or lesson. Including objectives in your lesson plan keeps you accountable and guides the small steps that support learning. Refer to these objectives when creating rubrics or assessments to keep the lesson focused and clear for students and stakeholders from beginning to end.
Of course, we teach more than one skill or concept in a single lesson. That’s where learning targets come in. These are also opportunities to highlight or revisit key parts of the lesson before moving forward. Think of learning targets as bite-sized pieces of your objectives. They are short-term, student-friendly goals that clearly state what students should learn and do during a lesson or activity and are usually presented as “I can” statements. They also help keep your assessments aligned with what you’re teaching.
Many schools expect you to display learning targets on the board each day—and for good reason. These targets aren’t just for students; they’re also helpful reminders for teachers. When clearly displayed, they help keep instruction focused and make sure you’re working toward specific, measurable goals. They also tell visitors, like parents or administrators, what they’re looking at when they pop in.
Just like any skill, the more you practice, the better and faster you’ll get. This also applies to writing objectives and learning targets. The more you familiarize yourself with the standards and write these formal goals, the easier and more efficient you’ll be. If you’re looking for a boost, FLEX Lessons include connected standards and specific objectives. It’s as simple as pulling it up on your computer and copying it onto the board!
Essential Vocabulary and Key Terms
Art lessons are filled with vocabulary. From media to tools, the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, techniques and artists, and so much more—there’s a lot for students to learn, remember, and apply. This amount of information can be overwhelming at any age, so don’t feel like you need to cover everything at once. Identify and emphasize the most important vocabulary that aligns with your standards and objectives. These essential words will naturally rise to the surface.
Be intentional about weaving vocabulary into your lesson in meaningful ways. Integrate fun activities to learn art vocabulary through your instructional strategies. This helps students not only recognize important terms but also truly understand and use them with confidence. Staying aligned with educational goals means more than just meeting standards—it means making sure students clearly and deliberately grasp the language of art.
Teaching Strategies and Differentiation
Each student has unique needs, abilities, and interests. Planning ahead allows you to anticipate them and differentiate your approach. Researching and brainstorming a variety of teaching strategies, from grouping to material or tool swaps, helps you stay agile. It gives you a bank to pull from, allowing you to make the most of your lesson outcomes for as many students as possible, no matter where they are. Doing this proactively also gives you time to consult with support staff, counselors, parents, and other stakeholders who know your students well.
Material Management
There’s nothing worse than realizing right before your class starts that you’re out of glue. Looking over the materials and tools you need in advance helps you stay prepared and manage your budget wisely, especially at the beginning of the year. This step assists with maintaining your supply inventory and gives you a bit of time to borrow or purchase anything additional you may need.
When should I write my lesson plans?
Now that you’re convinced to write lesson plans, deciding when to sit down and write them out is a whole other question. This will look different depending on the time of the school year and the phase of your career. Some days, weeks, or months may be heavier than others, and that’s normal!
What’s the time of the school year?
- Back to School Preparation
At the beginning of the year, take time to write out a few lessons to get your students started. If you’re building your curriculum from scratch or rethinking your lessons for a specific class, consider your scope and sequence first to strategize the big picture. - Mid-Year Detours
Once you’re in the teaching flow, you may not need detailed plans for every lesson or day. Having a general plan to refer back to can keep you moving in the right direction. If things start to feel chaotic or off-track, take that as a sign to revisit written plans. - Ongoing Reflection
Build this in at the end of each unit, semester, or school year. Taking notes on what worked, what didn’t, and how you’d adjust for next time is invaluable for future you.
Where am I in my teaching career?
- New Art Teacher
You may need to spend more time working through your lesson planning up front. Give yourself grace because you probably won’t think of everything, and you’ll learn a lot as you go! Remember that many art teachers’ favorite go-to lesson plans come from years of refining. Reflect and take notes as you go so you can level up each time. - Veteran Art Teacher
Lesson planning can mean quick updates a few times a year or optional opportunities to stretch your creativity and discover fresh ways to engage your students!
How do I make my lesson planning sustainable?
Whether or not your school requires formal lesson plans, staying organized keeps you ahead. Budgeting just ten minutes a day to update your plans can make a big difference. Collaborate with other art teachers in your department or virtually to work smarter, not harder. Consider how you can share lessons and resources to save time and maximize others’ perspectives and ideas.
Another way to lighten your lesson planning load and free up your planning time is to harness the Curricula feature in FLEX Curriculum. This curated view within FLEX organizes Lessons into a practical sequence for the entire school year by elementary grade level or by medium for secondary students. Within Curricula, you can create Classes to match your courses in real life and customize pre-made Lessons for your specific set of students.
Lesson plans can be living documents that reflect your thoughtful and responsive teaching. They’re valuable artifacts for evaluations or end-of-year meetings to show how your instruction supports your unique group of students. Creating these documents isn’t about perfection—it’s about being prepared, staying reflective, and teaching with purpose. Make your lesson planning journey simpler and stronger with FLEX Curriculum. With this vast archive of lessons and resources, you’ll not only feel more confident behind the scenes—you’ll step into your art room ready to empower every student at each stage in the project!
How often do you write lesson plans?
What are your best tips for making lesson planning sustainable?
To chat about lesson planning with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
