How to Plan Lessons in ClickUp Step by Step

ClickUp gives teachers and instructional designers an all-in-one workspace to plan lessons, organize curriculum, and streamline classroom workflows with AI-powered tools.

This how-to guide walks you through setting up lesson planning in ClickUp, using templates, views, and automation inspired by the best practices outlined in the ClickUp AI tools for lesson planning guide.

Why Use ClickUp for Lesson Planning

Traditional lesson plans live in scattered documents and spreadsheets. ClickUp centralizes everything so you and your team can collaborate in one organized system.

With the right setup you can:

• Map curriculum across weeks, units, and standards
• Draft, revise, and store lesson plans in one space
• Use AI to generate objectives, activities, and assessments
• Track student progress and differentiate instruction
• Share plans with co-teachers, leaders, or parents

Step 1: Create a ClickUp Workspace for Your School or Class

Start by setting up a dedicated structure in ClickUp for your teaching context. This will keep lesson planning separate from personal or administrative tasks.

1. Sign in to your ClickUp account or create a new one.

2. Create a Workspace for your school, department, or tutoring business.

3. Invite teammates such as co-teachers, instructional coaches, or administrators.

Inside your Workspace, use Spaces to represent high-level areas, such as:

• Grade-level (e.g., Grade 3 ELA)
• Subject (e.g., Algebra I, Biology)
• Program (e.g., Special Education, STEM Lab)

Step 2: Build a ClickUp Space for Lesson Planning

Next, configure a Space in ClickUp dedicated to lesson planning and curriculum design.

1. Create a new Space and name it clearly, such as “Lesson Planning” or “Grade 5 Science Plans.”

2. Choose color and icon options that visually distinguish this Space from others.

3. Enable key ClickUp features for the Space, such as Docs, Custom Fields, and Automations.

Within the Space, you will create Folders and Lists to mirror your curriculum structure.

Step 3: Organize Curriculum with ClickUp Folders and Lists

Use Folders and Lists in ClickUp to break your curriculum into units, weeks, and daily lessons.

• Folders: Represent units, terms, or marking periods (e.g., “Unit 1: Fractions”).
• Lists: Represent weeks or topics within each unit (e.g., “Week 1: Fraction Basics”).

Inside each List, individual tasks become lesson plans or key learning activities.

1. Create a Folder for each unit in your yearly curriculum map.

2. Inside every Folder, add Lists for each week or module.

3. Add tasks inside each List for specific lessons, labs, or projects.

Step 4: Turn ClickUp Tasks into Structured Lesson Plans

Each task in ClickUp can function as a complete lesson plan with objectives, materials, and assessments.

For every lesson task, configure the following:

• Title: A clear lesson name (e.g., “Introduction to Photosynthesis”).
• Description: The full lesson plan, including hook, instruction, practice, and closure.
• Due Date: The teaching date or deadline for preparation.
• Assignee: The teacher or co-teacher responsible.
• Subtasks: Materials prep, copying, or digital activity setup.

Add Custom Fields in ClickUp to capture important planning data, such as:

• Standards or competencies
• Grade level
• Lesson type (lecture, lab, project, group work)
• Assessment type (quiz, exit ticket, presentation)
• Estimated duration

Step 5: Use ClickUp AI to Draft Lesson Components

ClickUp AI, inspired by the workflows discussed in the lesson planning guide, can speed up content creation while you stay in control of quality.

Inside a task description or Doc in ClickUp:

1. Highlight a section where you want support (for example, objectives or differentiation strategies).

2. Open the ClickUp AI tools from the toolbar.

3. Choose an education-related prompt or write your own, such as “Generate three learning objectives aligned to middle school science standards about photosynthesis.”

4. Review the suggestions, refine them, and personalize for your classroom context.

You can use AI to help with:

• Lesson hooks and engagement ideas
• Formative and summative assessment questions
• Differentiated tasks for varied ability levels
• Rubric criteria and success indicators
• Emails or messages to families about upcoming units

Step 6: Plan Your Week with ClickUp Views

ClickUp provides multiple views so you can see your lessons in the way that works best for planning.

Use the ClickUp Calendar View

The Calendar view places lesson tasks on a visual schedule.

• Drag tasks onto specific dates to assign teaching days.
• Adjust durations for multi-day projects.
• Filter by class, teacher, or unit using Custom Fields.

Use the ClickUp List and Board Views

The List view presents lesson tasks in a detailed, column-based layout that is perfect for tracking status.

• Sort tasks by date, unit, or standard.
• Display Custom Fields to see essential planning info at a glance.

The Board view behaves like a Kanban board where columns represent statuses such as:

• Planned
• In Progress
• Taught
• Needs Revision

Drag lesson tasks between columns as you prepare, teach, and reflect.

Step 7: Collaborate on Lesson Plans in ClickUp

Collaboration is crucial for consistent and high-quality instruction. ClickUp streamlines teamwork around lesson planning.

Use these collaboration features:

• Comments: Ask questions, give feedback, or leave reminders on specific lesson tasks.
• Docs: Create shared curriculum maps, pacing guides, and unit overviews.
• Mentions: Tag colleagues with @mentions to draw attention to key changes.
• Attachments: Store slide decks, worksheets, and reference files directly on tasks.

Because everything lives in one place, your team can reuse and improve lessons from year to year.

Step 8: Automate Routine Work with ClickUp

Once your structure is in place, use ClickUp Automations to reduce repetitive admin work.

Examples of useful automations include:

• When a lesson task is moved to “Taught,” create a follow-up task for reflection or grading.
• When a task is created in a specific List, automatically set the assignee and default due date.
• When the due date approaches, send a reminder to the assigned teacher.

These time-saving workflows help you focus on instruction instead of manual task management.

Step 9: Track Progress and Reflect on Teaching in ClickUp

After lessons are taught, use ClickUp to record observations and plan next steps.

• Add notes in the task description or comments about what worked and what to adjust.
• Track completion of key assessments as subtasks.
• Use Custom Fields to record class performance or mastery levels.

Over time, your Space becomes a living, evolving record of your teaching practice and curriculum effectiveness.

Step 10: Extend Your System with ClickUp Integrations

ClickUp connects with tools you already use, making lesson planning more powerful and less fragmented.

• Link cloud storage for slides, readings, and videos.
• Connect communication systems to share updates with stakeholders.
• Use forms to capture student or parent feedback tied to specific lessons.

For additional optimization ideas, you can also study productivity and systems resources from specialists, such as those found at Consultevo, and adapt them to your ClickUp workflows.

Next Steps: Make ClickUp Your Central Lesson Hub

By setting up a dedicated Space, structuring curriculum with Folders and Lists, turning tasks into full lesson plans, and using ClickUp AI, you create a sustainable system for planning and improving instruction.

Start by building a simple weekly planning List, then expand to units, automation, and collaboration as you grow comfortable. With a thoughtful setup, ClickUp becomes the central hub that keeps your lesson planning organized, flexible, and ready for any classroom challenge.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

Get Help

“`