Chapter 1: Introduction to Daily Lesson Planning

The following guide is tailored for educators looking to create lesson plans, but it’s also beneficial for anyone seeking a straightforward method for daily task organization. In my early teaching days, I struggled to maintain a coherent and ongoing outline for my lessons. The simple technique described here significantly improved my planning process, and I hope it proves useful for you as well. It’s quick and hassle-free, which is exactly what I appreciate.

I required a solution that enabled me to efficiently draft a daily plan with minimal effort and “quick entry.” My goal was to avoid getting overwhelmed by complicated technology—what I needed was a tool that streamlined my planning.

The steps outlined below will help you establish a straightforward lesson plan for each day.

Photo by Cathryn Lavery on Unsplash

For those already acquainted with the Obsidian knowledge management system, this method should seamlessly integrate into your workflow. If you’re new to Obsidian, check out this beginner’s guide:

Chapter 2: Setting Up Your Template

To get started, the first step is to create a template. Once you've outlined your lesson plan, setting up a template becomes straightforward. My approach is simple: no complex graphics—just sections organized with bullet points. Feel free to customize it to your liking.

Refer to my template layout here:

Image from: me

Each day, you’ll generate a blank template that you can then personalize with the specifics of your lesson plan. The process of creating this daily outline will be automated by the subsequent steps.

Steps to establish your template:

1. Create a folder designated for your templates.
2. Press CTRL+N to open a new page.
3. Name this page: “…template” (or any name you prefer). You only need one copy since this template will be reused daily.
4. Set the folder you created as the “template folder” by following the instructions below.

Chapter 3: Creating a Hotkey for Efficiency

Next, set up a hotkey to quickly insert your template with a single keystroke.

Steps:

After saving your template, navigate back to settings, select hotkeys, and enter "template" in the search bar. You will see a list of commands for shortcut functions. One hotkey is specifically for inserting the template, allowing you to press CTRL + […] each day to add your template into your lesson plan note. After doing this, simply fill in your daily plans.

Chapter 4: Maintaining a Running List of Plans

After creating your reusable template, you’ll need a way to keep track of your daily lesson plans. I append each template into a single note, providing a chronological list of all my previous plans. You may choose to maintain separate notes for each day, but I find it simpler to keep everything in one document.

To insert the template into a note file that contains multiple days, I press CTRL+T (my hotkey for inserting a template) and position the cursor at the top of the page. Once I hit CTRL+T, I can enter the details for the day.

For the following day, I repeat the process: I open my FIN 440: Daily Lessons Obsidian note, scroll to the top, hit CTRL+T, and input my information.

To print, simply click the three dots in the upper right corner and select ‘export to PDF.’

Image from: me

Here is a glimpse of my lesson plan note for October 10th, showcasing a truncated list of prior dates below.

Image from: me

Chapter 5: Utilizing Collapsed Views for Organization

In the following example, you will see a collection of days in a collapsed format. By clicking the arrow, the details for the day will expand (similar to the image above). This design keeps my notes tidy while allowing quick access to the details with a single click.

Image from: me

I encourage you to experiment with this setup and establish a basic template, even if it’s a copy of mine. You can always discover more features in Obsidian and make adjustments along the way.

I hope you find this information helpful. For additional insights about Obsidian, refer to their help documents, which are generally clear and informative: