How to Write Lesson Plans Faster: 4 AI-Powered Strategies Teachers Are Using in 2025

Soojin Kim December 10, 20253 min read

The new school year is in full swing. You’re juggling classroom routines, marking, pastoral care, staff meetings, and somewhere in the mix, the lesson plans still need writing.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. In 2025, more UK teachers are turning to AI to simplify planning without losing quality. At Dolly, we’ve seen firsthand how small changes can make a big difference, especially when it comes to time.

Here are four practical, teacher-tested strategies to help you write lesson plans faster, using AI to support what matters most: your thinking, your learners, and your time.


1. Use AI Lesson Planning Tools to Generate a First Draft in Minutes.

Getting started is often the hardest part. Dolly helps by turning a few quick prompts into a structured lesson plan that aligns with your subject, year group, and learning goals.

Once the AI gives you a draft, you can edit, refine, and adapt it for your classroom needs.

“It’s like having a teaching assistant who works 24/7. Proper impressive.” Head of Maths, Manchester

Think of it as scaffolding. Not replacing your expertise, but supporting it.

Screenshot of Dolly AI generating a lesson plan draft.

2. Save and Reuse the Good Lesson Plans with Dolly

Ever written a brilliant lesson… then forgotten where you saved it?

With Dolly, your best plans don’t get lost in folders or memory sticks. You can save AI-generated plans and build your own personalised planning library.

  • Reuse what works

  • Tweak what doesn’t

  • Spend less time starting from scratch


3. Get Help Aligning to UK Curriculum Goals

Need your lesson to hit a specific curriculum strand? Dolly has your back.

Type in your topic, and Dolly suggests learning objectives and success criteria that match the UK national curriculum. Your plans stay on track, and your admin box is ticked.


4. Plan in Batches, Not Night-by-Night

Planning nightly is draining. That’s why many Dolly users batch-plan on Fridays or Sundays, generating 3 to 5 lessons in one go using the AI, then refining across the week.

You stay ahead of the curve, without the Sunday Fear!

Illustration og batch-planning multiple lessons effectively using Dolly AI

Bonus: You Don’t Have to DIY Everything

Using Dolly doesn’t mean you’re doing less. It means you’re planning smarter, saving time for real teaching, and still delivering excellent learning.

Because what students remember isn’t your 1-hour lesson plan.
It’s how you showed up.

Illustration of teacher being happy with Dolly help.

Ready to Save Time on Planning?

If saving time matters this term, Dollys’ AI-supported lesson planning option can be helpful for you.

Dolly is designed to work the way real UK teachers do: messy, brilliant, busy, human.

👉 Join and get early discount access Dolly AI this term
👉 Or follow us on LinkedIn to see how others are teaching with more breathing room