Introduction to Notion Lesson Planner

Notion is an incredibly versatile tool for educators. By setting up a structured system within Notion, you can streamline your lesson planning process. The key components of this system are two databases: one for lesson units and one for individual lessons. Here’s a detailed walkthrough on how to set up and utilize these databases effectively.

Planner Overview

Setting Up Lesson Units

Lesson units act as folders that group your lessons together. This organization is particularly helpful if you teach multiple classes each week with different materials. Here’s how you can set up your lesson units:

1. Create Lesson Units: Start by creating a new database for your lesson units. These units can be categorized by subjects, topics, or specific classes.

2. Organize Your Lessons: Inside each lesson unit, you can add individual lessons. For instance, you might have a unit for "In-Class Essays" with several essay lessons grouped together.

3. Use Folders for Organization: These folders help you keep everything in order, making it easier to locate and manage your lessons over the course of a semester or school year.

Utilizing Lesson Templates

Templates are a game-changer in Notion. They allow you to create pre-made pages for your lessons, saving you a lot of time and effort. Here’s how you can leverage templates:

1. Create Custom Templates: Develop templates for different types of lessons. For example, you might have templates for essays, reading comprehension, vocabulary tests, and more.

2. Set Default Templates: Assign a default template to each lesson unit. This way, whenever you create a new lesson, the template will automatically be applied, including all necessary links, resources, and tags.

3. Include Essential Resources: Add links to Google Drive folders, files, and any other resources you frequently use. This ensures that everything you need is just a click away.

Lesson Database Explanation

The lesson database is where you keep track of all your individual lessons. Here are some key properties to include:

1. Status Property: Use statuses like "Not Started," "Preparing," "Ready," and "Archived" to track the progress of your lessons.

2. Name and Date: Clearly name each lesson and set the dates to help you keep your schedule organized.

3. Tag Classes: Tag the classes that each lesson is intended for. This helps you quickly see which lessons are assigned to which classes.

The status property is particularly useful as it helps you see at a glance which lessons are ready to go and which ones need more preparation. Once a lesson is taught, you can archive it for future use.

Lesson Planning Example

Let’s walk through a practical example of how you might plan a reading book lesson unit:

Step 1: Create a Lesson Unit Folder

Name the folder “Reading Book” and set up a template for each chapter you plan to cover.

Step 2: Develop a Template

Include essential elements like discussion questions, worksheets, and links to resources.

Step 3: Set Default Template

Assign this template as the default for the “Reading Book” unit.

Step 4: Create Lessons

Generate individual lessons for each chapter, tagging the relevant classes and setting appropriate dates.

Using the calendar view in Notion, you can easily drag and drop lessons to different dates, making it quick to adjust your schedule as needed.

Conclusion

By implementing a two-database system in Notion for lesson units and individual lessons, along with customizable templates and a clear status tracking system, you can significantly streamline your lesson planning process. This method has helped me manage 12 classes with over 100 students and countless lessons each week efficiently.

If you're looking to simplify your lesson planning and save time, consider using Notion.

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