Let’s talk lesson planning. I’ve tried everything—paper planners, Google Slides, Notion—and while each had its moment, Google Sheets has completely changed the game for me as a music teacher. It’s now the only tool I use to plan my music lessons, and here’s why!
But first… let’s take a little stroll down planner memory lane.
📝 How It Started: Paper Planning
Ah yes, the paper planner era. I created my own planner, printed it out, and bound it using the Happy Planner system. It felt satisfying to write everything down, and it helped me remember things better.
✅ Pros:
- Tangible and hands-on
- Writing things down helped with memory
❌ Cons:
- No way to link to digital files
- Hard to carry over from year to year
- I’d do my lesson planning on the computer, then forget to write it down in the planner
Eventually, paper planning just didn’t keep up with how I was working digitally.
💻 Next Up: Google Slides
I took the plunge into digital planning with Google Slides, essentially recreating my paper planners in digital form. It was exciting to be able to edit quickly, copy and paste, and—best of all—link files directly into my plans.
✅ Pros:
- Easily editable
- No printing necessary
- File linking made everything more efficient
❌ Cons:
- Too many slides to keep track of
- Large file sizes
Hard to get a big-picture view across grade levels
📋 Then Came Notion
I got swept up in the Notion wave for a couple of years—and I really did love it. The customization, aesthetic, and flexibility were next-level.
But… I still did all my curriculum work in Google Docs and Slides, so I was constantly switching back and forth between platforms. That back-and-forth got exhausting.
✅ Finally: Google Sheets
I started seeing other teachers using Google Sheets to lesson plan, and I decided to give it a try.
Spoiler alert: it was the best decision ever.
I created a simple planner in Sheets, and I ended up loving it all year long. Here’s why I now swear by Google Sheets for music lesson planning:
📂 1. Multiple Views (a.k.a. Tabs = Magic)
This is my #1 reason for loving Google Sheets.
I use tabs to organize my planner in two ways:
- Master Tab – A bird’s eye view of every grade level for the week
- Grade-Level Tabs – One tab per grade (K–6) to see unit progression clearl
This setup helps me zoom out when needed but also dive deep into long-term planning. It’s efficient, intentional, and totally flexible.
🔲 2. Built-In Tables (No More Fussing!)
How many times have you tried to build a table in Google Docs or Slides just to organize your plans? Google Sheets is a table.
You can customize it however you want: by week, by standard, by learning target—you name it. And you never have to fight formatting again.
🔗 3. Easy File Linking
I keep all my most-used documents and websites linked right at the top of my planner:
- Year-at-a-glance
- Curriculum resources
- Digital file folders
- Websites I use regularly in class
Everything is one click away. No digging through Google Drive. It saves me so much time.
↕️ 4. The Scroll Factor
Here’s what I mean: in Google Slides, you’re limited to the size of the slide. So your planner becomes 200+ slides deep, and you spend way too much time searching for the right one. With Google Sheets, I can just scroll.
It’s all on one continuous page—or I can jump between tabs if I want to isolate a view. The ability to scroll vertically or horizontally makes navigation a breeze.
🎵 Final Thoughts
I’ve tried it all—paper, slides, Notion—and while each had its strengths, Google Sheets is the one that stuck. It simplifies my workflow, supports how I actually plan, and lets me see the big picture and the fine details.If you’ve been looking for a planning system that works with you (not against you), give Google Sheets a try. I truly don’t think I’ll ever go back.
🎉 Ready to Try It Yourself?
If you’re ready to simplify your planning and stay organized all year long, check out my Music Teacher Planner (2025–2026) for Google Sheets! It’s fully editable, easy to use, and designed specifically for elementary music teachers.
👉 Click here to explore the planner on TPT!
Trust me—you’re going to love it.
