Administrators and school policies increasingly require teachers to create lesson plans. It is seen as a part of the job. Schools are facing increased levels of accountability due to legislation, and teachers themselves have become much more accountable for their instruction and students' achievement. Lesson plans provide needed documentation of teaching.
States have adopted standards for effective instruction. Teachers are encouraged, or even expected, to align their curriculum with these standards to promote student learning. These standards are based on best practices and are considered the path to student achievement. Lesson plans are necessary tools in making sure that the day-to-day instruction emulates these standards in the classroom.
Teachers are human and have unexpected circumstances or illnesses that require them to be absent from the classroom. During this absence, substitute teachers rely on the lesson plans teachers leave to effectively utilize the time by helping students continue to learn. Without a lesson plan, a learning gap would likely occur and waste time. Substitute teachers would also have a more difficult time instructing and may be less willing to work.
Best practices in teaching currently show that instruction must be based on specified learning objectives to promote optimal student achievement, as measured on aptitude tests. Lesson plans are beneficial because they require teachers to plan instruction and provide the time for teachers to make sure that what they are teaching is directly aligned with what students will be expected to know.
Lesson plans help the teacher to maintain an organized and effectively managed classroom, by providing direction throughout the school day. It can be easy to get off track or forget to cover something important if teachers rely solely on their intuition or memory. Lesson plans take away this problem by providing a detailed schedule and plan for the day, so teachers can focus on students and instruction. Lesson plans also insure that priorities are in order.
Teachers can use lesson plans for reference throughout the school year, and even for years to come. Lesson plans document what was taught and when. Teachers can use lesson plans when discussing issues with parents, with administrators, or when reflecting on how students are learning. Parts of the lesson plan that seemed particularly effective can be replicated from year to year, and those that were less effective can be altered. Lesson plans provide teachers a record of the year.