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Lesson Plan Rubric Template

A ready-to-use, analytic lesson plan rubric for Written lesson plan for a single class period, submitted by a student teacher, a teacher-education student, or a new teacher for review (Teacher education (college) and new-teacher coaching). Score whether a substitute could teach the lesson from the plan alone, and whether the plan shows how the teacher will know, during and after the lesson, which students met the objective. Edit it for your own assignment, print it, download it as a Word file, or share a link with your students.

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The lesson plan rubric

CriterionExcellent (4)Proficient (3)Developing (2)Beginning (1)
Learning objectiveStates what students will be able to do by the end, using an observable verb (explain, solve, compare), names the standard it serves, and is small enough to reach in one period.Uses an observable verb and names a standard, but the objective is too large for one period or combines two separate skills.Describes what students will do or be exposed to ('students will learn about', 'students will read chapter 4') rather than what they will be able to do.No objective is written, or it is copied from a standard word-for-word with no connection to the planned activities.
Assessment matches the objectiveIncludes a specific end-of-lesson check (exit ticket, short problem set, one-sentence explanation) that asks students to perform the objective's verb, and states what a correct answer looks like.Includes an end-of-lesson check that matches the objective, but does not say what counts as meeting it.Includes a check that measures something else (recall of vocabulary when the objective is to explain a process) or only asks students how confident they feel.No assessment is planned, or it is listed as 'observation' with nothing said about what will be observed.
Sequence & timingLists each phase (opening, teacher model, guided practice, independent practice, close) with minutes that add up to the period, says what the teacher says or asks at key points, and lists every material needed.Lists the phases in a sensible order with times, but one phase is described in a single line ('group work') without saying what students actually do, or a material is missing.Lists activities without times, or the times add up to far more or less than the period, so a reader cannot tell how the lesson will actually run.Gives a list of topics or a single paragraph with no sequence a second teacher could follow.
Checks for understanding & misconceptionsPlans at least two checks during the lesson (specific questions, whiteboard responses, a quick sort) and names one likely student mistake with what the teacher will do if it appears.Plans at least one check during the lesson and names a likely mistake, but does not say what the teacher will do about it.Relies on 'Any questions?' or 'thumbs up' as the only check, and no likely mistakes are named.No checks during the lesson are planned; the first evidence of understanding is the final assessment, if any.
Differentiation & accessNames specific supports for specific needs in this class (a sentence frame for English learners, a worked example for students who struggle, an extension task for early finishers) and places each at the point in the lesson where it is used.Names specific supports, but not where in the lesson they happen, or covers only one group of learners.Includes a general statement ('instruction will be differentiated as needed') with no specific support described.No mention of differentiation, accommodations, or students who may need a different path.

Four levels — Excellent (4) to Beginning (1). Print this page, or open it in the editor to change the wording, levels, or points.

How to use this rubric

A lesson plan is written for two readers: the person who will teach it, and the person who will judge whether it worked. This rubric is for instructors and mentors grading plans written by student teachers and new teachers. It does not reward length or fancy templates. It checks five things a reviewer can confirm on the page: an objective stated as something students will be able to do, a final check that asks for exactly that, a sequence with times a substitute could follow, checks during the lesson with a likely mistake named in advance, and specific supports for specific learners.

Why these criteria

Each row targets something the assignment is really teaching, with descriptors written to be observable rather than vague:

Learning objective
Everything else in the plan is judged against the objective. An objective that describes an activity ('students will complete the worksheet') gives nothing to check learning against.
Assessment matches the objective
A plan can be full of good activities and still give no evidence of who learned what. This row checks that the final check asks students to do exactly what the objective says.
Sequence & timing
The test of a written plan is whether someone else could teach from it. Time estimates and the exact teacher and student moves are what make that possible.
Checks for understanding & misconceptions
The end-of-lesson check comes too late to fix anything. Planned checks during the lesson, and a named likely mistake, show the teacher has thought about where students will get stuck.
Differentiation & access
A plan written for an average student fits almost no one. This row checks for concrete supports tied to real learners, not a generic line copied into every plan.

How to adapt it

Frequently asked questions

Who is this lesson plan rubric for?
Mainly teacher-education instructors, cooperating teachers, and instructional coaches reviewing plans written by student teachers or new teachers. Experienced teachers also use it to check their own plans before an observation, since it matches what most observers look for.
Does it work with any lesson plan format, such as the Madeline Hunter model or 5E?
Yes. The rows do not depend on the template. A 5E plan (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) and a Hunter-style plan both need a measurable objective, a matching assessment, a timed sequence, checks along the way, and supports for different learners. Score the content, not the headings.
What makes an objective measurable?
The verb has to be something you can see or hear a student do: solve, explain, compare, write, label. 'Understand', 'learn about', and 'appreciate' cannot be observed directly, so there is no way to check them at the end of the lesson. A good test is whether the exit ticket could be written from the objective alone.
Should the plan be graded before or after it is taught?
Grade the written plan before teaching with these five rows. If the lesson is also observed, add the reflection row from the second modify tip after teaching, so a plan that looked strong on paper but did not work in practice can still earn credit for an honest, evidence-based reflection.

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