Minute-by-Minute Lesson Plans: When They Help and When They Hurt

Minute-by-minute plans shine in three situations: your first year of teaching (when you don't yet have internal pacing instincts), formal observations (when an administrator wants to see intentional planning), and block schedules (when 90 minutes can easily become 60 minutes of content and 30 minutes of filler).

In these contexts, explicit timing prevents the two most common pacing problems: spending too long on one activity and running out of time for closure and assessment.

If you're reading your plan like a script and ignoring student cues, the pacing is controlling you instead of supporting you. A student asks a brilliant question at minute 22, but your plan says to transition at minute 20 — do you cut the conversation?

Experienced teachers often benefit from segment-level timing (Opening: 10 min, Practice: 25 min, Closure: 10 min) rather than minute-by-minute detail. The segments keep you on track without making you rigid.

LessonCraft plans include timing for each section with realistic durations based on your total lesson length. You get enough structure to pace your lesson without being locked into a script. Adjust timing during teaching, then refine the plan for next time.