The Best AI Tools for Making Lesson Plans

You may have heard it said that teaching is the one profession that creates all others, yet it’s one of the most underappreciated. If you’re a teacher reading this, you probably don’t need us to tell you that. We know you could probably use a little help, and we’re here to offer exactly that. We want to help you find some of the best AI tools and resources for making lesson plans and slides so that you can save time for more important things both inside and outside the classroom.

Why AI is Useful for Lesson Planning

Now, we realize AI is somewhat controversial in education, and to be fair, there are ways it should be used and ways it should not be used. But generally, it’s best not to avoid AI entirely. AI isn’t going anywhere, and in fact, it’s only going to become more advanced and accessible.

So, the best approach is to learn how to use it effectively and responsibly. Using AI as part of your lesson planning offers the following benefits, among many others.

Automates any repetitive tasks

Helps eliminate bias

Can provide outlines based on learning objectives

Helps differentiate instruction for different student needs

Can help you quickly alter existing lesson plans based on student feedback

Makes it easy to create activities based on your lesson

Can be used to create supplementary assessments

Makes it easy to incorporate lesson plans from other teachers within your own

By using AI for your lesson planning, you can spend less time on the more laborious tasks of planning your classes, giving you time to focus on the more meaningful aspects of teaching your students.

robot creating a lesson plan for teaching

AI Lesson Plan Makers for Teachers

So without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the tools that can help expedite your lesson plan creation process and make your lessons more effective.

ChatGPT

You’ve likely heard of ChatGPT, which uses a conversational approach to generating AI content. If you’re looking for something simple and relatively affordable, it’s a good place to start. When properly instructed, ChatGPT can generate lesson outlines, discussion questions and activities for your class. You can also tailor lessons based on grade level and subject, but expect to provide the AI with significant context in order to get the most out of it.

Pricing: Free, with more advanced capabilities available at $20/month

LessonPlans.ai

Like ChatGPT, LessonPlans.ai can also generate structured lesson plans based on grade level and subject, just with a more seamless approach. It can provide learning objectives and discussion questions that make it easy to automate the lesson planning process. Plus, they offer numerous free lesson plans that give you the chance to benefit the tool before you commit to paying for it.

Pricing: $49/year

MagicSchool AI

If you want something more robust, MagicSchool AI is one such option. It would probably be easier to list the things this tool can’t do, as it boasts everything from generating a rubric to summarizing text. Of course, it can also create lesson plans. It addition to tools for teachers, MagicSchool AI also offers solutions for students and school districts as a whole.

Pricing: $99.96/year (free version available with limited generations)

Auto Classmate

Auto Classmate is another one that offers several tools for multiple purposes. Its lesson plan generator gives you a few fields to fill in, including grade, what you want your students to learn and any custom prompts you want to provide. It then quickly generates a full lesson plan via text. For teachers looking for something extra simple, this should do the trick.

Pricing: Freemium (no details found)

Apps Do Wonders

Part of the challenge of lesson planning is creating the visuals to go along with your teaching. It can take hours to create slides for even just one class session. Whether you have an existing lesson plan or need one created from a prompt, our ChatGPT for PowerPoint add-in can create a full presentation for you in seconds. And the nice thing about our add-in is that you don’t have to learn another tool… we bring AI capability right to PowerPoint for you.

Pricing: $8.99/month (after 5 free presentations)

Common Curriculum

We’re cheating a bit with this one. While Common Curriculum doesn’t explicitly claim to use AI, it’s still a great tool for any teacher looking to save time with their lesson planning. Common Curriculum markets itself as a Google Docs replacement. It allows teachers to align their plans with standards, carry over lesson from year to year, adjust lesson activities on the fly and so much more.

Pricing: $5.59/month (free with limited functionality)

Best Practices When Using AI for Classroom Lesson Plans

Now, AI is really smart these days, but it isn’t perfect. In order to ensure you’re using it responsibly, there are some best practices to consider.

First and foremost, you’ll still want to review any information AI generates for accuracy. Most of the time, it’s probably going to be accurate. But it can make mistakes or pull information that may be out-of-date. At the end of the day, you’re the subject matter expert.

You should also take time to personalize any AI-generated lesson plan for your particular students. AI can often help you do this, but you’ll want to be intentional on including this step to ensure your class receives that kind of teaching they require.

Lastly, you’re the teacher, not the AI. You know your students best and know best what it takes to teach effectively. Therefore, think of AI as a supplement for your teaching, not a replacement. No matter how good AI gets, nothing can replace the value of a hands-on teacher.

AI is greatly changing the way educators create lesson plans, saving you valuable time and helping enhance the quality of instruction. By thoughtfully integrating your lesson plan processes with these AI tools, you can teach more effectively and efficiently.