I Tried an AI Lesson Planner for a Week, Here’s What Surprised Me

Welcome back teachers!! I’m not usually one to jump on new tech trends especially when they promise to “revolutionize” my planning routine. I’ve been teaching for nearly a decade, and let’s just say I’ve seen a lot of flashy apps that made big claims but didn’t quite work in the real classroom. So when I kept hearing about AI lesson planners and worksheet generators, especially TeachShare, I was curious but mostly skeptical (OOPS). But after a particularly horrific week (lesson plans unfinished, parent emails overflowing, and a gazillion cups of coffee), I decided to give it a shot. Here’s what surprised me most and why I might never plan the old way again.

First Impressions: Easy, Clean, and Built for Teachers

Right out of the gate, TeachShare felt different from other planning tools I’ve tried. It didn’t bombard me with jargon or require a 3-hour tutorial, and the interface was clean and intuitive (no ads popping up left and right on my screen). Of course, they have their popular TeachShare Creator tool, but I wanted a fully generated lesson plan. So, I went to their Toolbox, and clicked on the Lesson Plan Generator. From there, there was a prompt box asking me to:

• Choose a grade level

• Enter a topic, standard, or objective

• An option to add any additional criteria

• And include standards I wanted the lesson plan to align to

  
  

Within minutes, I had a full lesson plan that hit my content goals AND actually felt usable. That’s when I realized this isn’t just generic AI, this is AI made for teachers. It was truly AMAZING.

What Surprised Me Most

1. It Actually Understood How Teaching Works

When I first asked TeachShare to generate a lesson plan for my 5th grade science unit on aquatic ecosystems, I braced myself for something generic. What I got? A full week-long plan with clear objectives, aligned to Virginia SOL 5.5, and differentiated activities across five sessions.

It didn’t just toss in filler tasks, it built out structured inquiry with Engage–Explore–Explain moments for each day. From video prompts to diorama projects to group presentations, it gave me real strategies for concept building, student talk, and assessment. My favorite part? It even recommended tech tools, extension activities, and a field trip connection without me having to prompt it!! And honestly, the structure felt like something I  or one of my fellow teachers would have written, just faster and way more organized.

2. Real-Time AI Chat = Instant Edits

This is hands-down one of my favorite features. After the initial plan was generated, I used the built-in AI chat to fine-tune the lesson. I asked it:

• “Can you add a vocabulary box for ELLs?”

• “Add a reflection question after the diorama presentations.”

  

Each time, the edits were applied instantly, and the formatting stayed clean. No copying and pasting into a doc, no broken spacing. It was like co-planning with another teacher who gets differentiation and pacing.

3.  I Got Time Back (Seriously)

Creating a full 5-day science unit used to take me hours between aligning standards, differentiating activities, gathering materials, and planning assessments, it would easily eat up several prep periods. But with TeachShare, I had the entire unit plan built and ready to go in under 10 minutes. And this wasn’t a surface-level outline. It gave me:

• A Virginia SOL-aligned objective for every session

• Clear Engage–Explore–Explain structure for each day

• A detailed materials list, including items for a diorama project

• Assessment methods: from discussions and presentations to a quiz

• Built-in extension activities like field trips, guest speakers, and conservation projects

• Even a final wrap-up prompt: “Can we include a field trip to an aquarium?”

I didn’t have to dig for enrichment ideas or write my own assessment plan from scratch, it was all included. And it was all printable, editable, and immediately usable with my students.

A Real Week With TeachShare

Here’s what I created using TeachShare in one actual planning week:

• Monday: Full aquatic ecosystems lesson plan (standards-aligned and inquiry-driven)

• Tuesday: Visual guide for a diorama activity, complete with student handout

• Wednesday: Vocabulary review worksheet with science terms and images

• Thursday: Exit ticket + quiz

• Friday: Socratic seminar guide with built-in student roles and peer discussion rubric

Every resource was editable, sharable, printable, and most importantly usable. I’ve never felt more supported by a planning tool.

Final Thoughts: My Honest AI Lesson Planner Review

Listen, I get the hesitation. I’ve been there. But TeachShare completely changed how I view AI for teachers. It’s not about replacing us. It’s about giving us tools that understand how we teach and what we actually need. If you’re looking for an AI lesson planner that’s smart, customizable, and actually built with real classrooms in mind, TeachShare is the one I’d recommend. It saved me time, made my lessons sharper, and honestly? It reminded me what it feels like to walk into class fully prepared without being completely drained. So yes, I tried an AI planner for a week, and I’ll be sticking with it.