
Having the dates already labeled is a must for her, she says, because she doesn’t have time to spend writing them in. That’s a sentiment shared by several teachers, who emphasized the need for extra space to jot down checklists and reminders. The perfect teacher planner has large boxes to write in, so you can fit all the important details for each activity and subject, according to Nasir. The planners are also a favorite of Janet Nasir, an elementary-school teacher in California. Ruiz bought the Jungle Vibes version recently, going for a mini size to fit into her “already overstuffed” work bag. Abigail Ruiz, a fourth-grade math and science teacher in Florida, has owned five Happy Planners and usually buys a new one two months before the old one runs out (the planners’ pages start off in July). “With the expansion packs and sticker packs, my planner is my brain on paper and that is exactly what I need.” You can also get coordinating accessories like snap-in pencil pouches, page markers, and colorful stickers for these personalized planners. “While other planners are bound together with spirals, this planner is made to add pages and sections that will keep you organized,” Lathan-Williams says.

She’s using the Change the World version of the planner for the 2021-2022 school year. Happy Planners get an A-plus from four of the teachers we talked to, including Tasha Lathan-Williams, registrar at Xavier Academy, who was introduced to the brand from a planner Facebook group. To find the best planners for teachers, we asked teachers and homeschooling parents about the planners they love. “These can often be set up automatically in Google Calendar, but having a planner with room to write out each day’s classes, meetings, and student commitments makes it much easier to plan the week and catch conflicts ahead of time.” Plus, it helps to have a planner that has space to pencil in after-school appointments (contrary to what some kids think, teachers don’t live at school!). “Teachers often need to deal with rotating schedules that aren’t connected to days of the week,” explains Katharine Hill, a Brooklyn-based educational therapist who teaches remotely.


After learning about all the different online apps and tools for the classroom last year (and reminding kids to mute themselves on Zoom), some teachers might be looking forward to using an actual paper planner to stay organized, schedule lessons, and track student progress. And teachers, too, are gearing up for another year - but lessons might be IRL now instead of through a screen. Of course, parents are probably rushing to check off the list of school supplies schools traditionally send out.
