6 Components Of A Lesson Plan Every Teacher Should Use
You’ve heard it before: failing to plan is planning to fail. But when it comes to teaching, the real question isn’t whether to plan, it’s whether you’re including the right components of a lesson plan to actually make a difference in your classroom.
At The Cautiously Optimistic Teacher, we believe that effective lesson planning isn’t about checking boxes or filling out templates for admin. It’s about creating a roadmap that keeps you focused and your students engaged, something we prioritize across all our teaching resources and tools.
Whether you’re a student teacher building your first unit or a veteran looking to sharpen your approach, understanding these six essential components will help you design lessons that work. Below, we’ll break down what every effective lesson plan needs and why each piece matters for student learning.
1. Objectives and standards alignment
Every strong lesson starts with clear objectives that tell you exactly where your students need to go. This component forms the foundation of your entire plan, connecting what you teach to state or national standards while setting measurable targets for student learning. Without this alignment, your lesson becomes a collection of activities rather than a purposeful journey toward mastery.
What this component does
This component establishes what students will know or be able to do by the end of your lesson. It links your instruction to curriculum standards (like Common Core or state frameworks) and provides the criteria you’ll use to measure success. When you write clear objectives, you create a filter for every decision you make during planning, from choosing activities to designing assessments.
Well-written objectives transform vague teaching goals into concrete, observable outcomes that both you and your students can track.
What to write in your plan
Your plan should include one to three specific learning objectives written in student-friendly language using action verbs. Reference the exact standard codes you’re addressing (for example, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.2) so anyone reviewing your plan understands the connection. Format your objectives using measurable language like "students will analyze," "students will compare," or "students will create" rather than fuzzy phrases like "students will understand."
Quick examples by subject
In English Language Arts, you might write: "Students will identify and explain three examples of symbolism in Chapter 3, citing textual evidence (RL.9-10.1)." For Mathematics, try: "Students will solve multi-step equations with variables on both sides with 80% accuracy (8.EE.C.7)." A Science objective could state: "Students will design an experiment testing the effect of light on plant growth, controlling for two variables (MS-LS1-5)."
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t write objectives that focus on what you’ll teach instead of what students will learn. Avoid vague verbs like "understand" or "appreciate" that you can’t measure. Many teachers also skip the standards alignment entirely or reference standards without actually teaching to them, which creates a disconnect between your documented plan and actual instruction.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Create tiered objectives that maintain the same standard but vary the complexity or support level. For struggling students, you might focus on foundational skills within the standard, while advanced learners tackle extensions or applications. Consider offering multiple ways to demonstrate mastery, allowing students to show understanding through writing, speaking, creating, or performing based on their strengths.
2. Materials and lesson setup
This component of your lesson plan ensures you have everything ready before your students walk through the door. When you list materials and plan your setup ahead of time, you eliminate the mid-lesson scramble for supplies that derails instruction. This preparation step transforms abstract objectives into concrete, teachable moments.
What this component does
This section creates your teaching toolkit inventory and maps out the physical or digital environment you’ll need. It forces you to think through logistics like seating arrangements, technology requirements, and handout quantities before you start teaching. By documenting these details, you ensure smooth transitions and maximize instructional time.
Planning your materials list prevents the classroom chaos that happens when you realize halfway through the lesson that you’re missing a critical supply.
What to write in your plan
List every physical item you need: specific handouts, textbooks, manipulatives, art supplies, or lab equipment. Include technology requirements like projectors, laptops, or software access. Note any room setup changes such as desks in groups, lab stations prepared, or anchor charts displayed.
Quick examples by subject
In English, you might need: copies of the poem (30), highlighters, annotation guide handout, and chart paper. For Math: graphing calculators (class set), worksheet on solving equations, colored markers, and graph paper. In Science: safety goggles (30), beakers, vinegar, baking soda, measuring spoons, and observation journals.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t assume materials are available without checking ahead. Avoid vague descriptions like "various supplies" that leave you guessing later. Many teachers forget to count quantities or verify that technology actually works before the lesson starts.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Prepare alternative materials for students with different needs: large-print handouts, audio versions of readings, or tactile manipulatives. Stock extra supplies for students who struggle with organization. Consider digital alternatives for students who work better with technology than paper materials.
3. Hook and background knowledge
Your lesson’s opening moments determine whether students lean in or zone out. This component of your lesson plan addresses those critical first minutes when you grab attention and activate prior knowledge. By combining an engaging hook with strategic background activation, you create the mental framework students need to absorb new content.
What this component does
This section launches your lesson by capturing student interest while connecting new material to what students already know. It primes their brains for learning by activating relevant schema and establishing why today’s lesson matters. The hook creates curiosity, while the background review builds the bridge between yesterday’s learning and today’s objectives.
What to write in your plan
Document your specific attention-grabber (a question, image, video clip, or surprising fact) and the method you’ll use to activate prior knowledge. Write out key review questions or the brief activity that reconnects students to prerequisite concepts. Include timing (typically 5-7 minutes total) so you don’t let this component consume your entire lesson.
Quick examples by subject
In English, show a provocative political cartoon before discussing propaganda techniques. For Math, pose a real-world problem involving percentages before teaching discount calculations. Science teachers might display a dramatic demonstration like elephant toothpaste before explaining chemical reactions.
A strong hook transforms passive students into active participants before you’ve even taught the main content.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t create hooks that entertain without connecting to your objectives. Avoid skipping the background activation entirely and jumping straight into new material. Many teachers also spend too much time on this component, leaving insufficient minutes for practice and application.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Provide visual and verbal hooks simultaneously to reach different learning styles. Pre-teach vocabulary or background concepts to struggling students before the lesson. Challenge advanced learners with deeper preview questions that require them to make predictions or connections beyond basic recall.
4. Direct instruction and modeling
This component transforms your objectives into explicit teaching that shows students exactly how to perform new skills or understand new concepts. Direct instruction is where you demonstrate the thinking process, work through examples step by step, and make invisible cognitive moves visible. When done well, this component gives students the scaffolding they need before attempting work independently.
What this component does
This section captures the explicit teaching moment when you demonstrate new skills or explain concepts through clear examples. It provides the framework students need by showing them your thought process while solving problems or analyzing texts. This modeling reduces frustration and builds confidence before students tackle work on their own.
Effective modeling makes expert thinking visible, transforming abstract concepts into concrete steps students can replicate.
What to write in your plan
Document the specific examples you’ll work through and the questions you’ll think aloud during modeling. Include any sentence stems or phrases you’ll use to demonstrate your reasoning. Write out the steps you’ll follow so you don’t accidentally skip crucial components of a lesson plan element during actual teaching.
Quick examples by subject
In English, model annotating a paragraph while verbalizing your thinking about author’s purpose. For Math, solve a sample equation on the board while explaining each algebraic move. Science teachers might demonstrate proper lab technique while narrating safety considerations and measurement accuracy.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t rush through modeling or assume students grasp concepts after one quick example. Avoid working through problems silently without verbalizing your decision-making process. Many teachers also model only simple examples, leaving students unprepared for complex applications.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Provide multiple examples at varying difficulty levels during your modeling. Use visual supports like color-coding steps or creating anchor charts during demonstration. Consider recording your modeling for students who need repeated exposure or benefit from pausing and reviewing at their own pace.
5. Practice and learning activities
This component shifts learning from teacher-centered to student-centered, giving learners the chance to apply new skills with decreasing support. After you model concepts during direct instruction, students need structured practice to build fluency and confidence. This hands-on phase reveals whether your instruction actually stuck and where students need additional guidance.
What this component does
This section creates the space where students actively engage with new content through guided and independent work. It moves learners from passive observation to active application, allowing them to test their understanding while you monitor progress. This practice time transforms theoretical knowledge into usable skills through repetition and application.
What to write in your plan
Document the specific practice activities students will complete, including both guided work you’ll supervise and independent tasks they’ll tackle alone. Specify time allocations for each activity and note any grouping structures (pairs, small groups, or individual work). Include the gradual release model: we do (together), you do together (small group), you do (alone).
Quick examples by subject
In English, students might annotate a new passage independently after your modeling, then compare findings with partners. Math classes could progress from solving problems with your guidance to completing a problem set independently. Science students might conduct experiments in groups after watching your demonstration.
Structured practice transforms your modeling into student mastery by providing multiple opportunities to apply new skills with decreasing support.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t release students to independent work before providing adequate guided practice. Avoid creating activities that don’t directly align with your stated objectives. Many teachers also fail to differentiate practice tasks, leaving some students frustrated while others finish too quickly.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Create tiered practice activities at varying difficulty levels addressing the same objective. Provide manipulatives or visual aids for students who need concrete representations. Challenge advanced learners with extension problems that deepen rather than simply add more of the same work.
6. Checks for understanding and closure
The final component of a lesson plan determines whether your teaching actually worked and provides meaningful closure before students leave your classroom. This section creates multiple touchpoints where you verify student understanding throughout the lesson, not just at the end. By building in strategic checkpoints and a strong closing, you ensure students leave with clarity rather than confusion about what they learned.
What this component does
This component gives you real-time feedback on student comprehension through quick assessments that reveal who’s grasping concepts and who needs intervention. It creates planned moments to adjust instruction based on student responses. The closure piece wraps up learning by helping students synthesize information and understand how today’s lesson connects to broader learning goals.
What to write in your plan
Document specific formative assessment strategies you’ll use during and after instruction (exit tickets, thumbs up/down, whiteboard responses). Write your closure questions or the brief activity students will complete in the final minutes. Include timing for both ongoing checks and your final wrap-up, typically reserving three to five minutes for closure.
Strategic checks for understanding throughout your lesson prevent the disaster of discovering at the end that nobody learned what you taught.
What to write in your plan
List the specific questions you’ll ask to gauge understanding at key transition points. Note any quick assessments like exit slips or digital polls you’ll deploy. Include your synthesis activity that helps students articulate what they learned and why it matters.
Quick examples by subject
In English, use exit tickets asking students to write one example of the literary device discussed. Math teachers might have students solve a representative problem on individual whiteboards. Science classes could complete a quick lab conclusion explaining results and connecting to the hypothesis.
Common pitfalls to avoid
Don’t rely solely on asking "Does everyone understand?" which produces unreliable responses. Avoid skipping closure when time runs short, leaving students without proper synthesis. Many teachers also fail to plan what they’ll do with assessment data they collect during checks.
How to adapt for diverse learners
Offer multiple response methods for checks: verbal, written, drawn, or demonstrated physically. Provide sentence frames for closure reflections to support language learners. Allow advanced students to extend their thinking by connecting today’s learning to future applications or related concepts.
Put it all together
These six components of a lesson plan work together to create instruction that actually sticks with your students. When you document clear objectives, prepare necessary materials, engage learners with hooks, model your thinking process, provide structured practice, and check understanding throughout, you build a complete teaching cycle rather than disconnected activities that waste class time.
Your plan doesn’t need to be perfect or follow a rigid template to be effective. What matters is that each component serves a clear purpose in moving students toward mastery of your stated objectives. Start by ensuring your objectives align with standards, then work systematically through each remaining element.
Ready to streamline your planning process? Check out our AI-powered teaching tools that help you create differentiated lessons, generate custom worksheets, and craft targeted assessments in minutes. These resources transform the planning process from hours of tedious work into efficient, focused preparation that directly improves student outcomes.
