Blue Sky Teacher Planner (Pros, Cons & a Video Walkthrough)
Blue Sky Planners is one of my favorite planner companies – functional layouts, great colors, tend to always have lined writing space and best of all: they’re affordable.
I purchased the planner myself. As always, all opinions are my own!
Quick facts
- Size: 8.5 x 11″ (USA letter page size)
- Wire binding
- Softcover (various designs available)
- This belongs to page in case your planner is lost
- Dates at a glance
- Neutral or colorful inside pages (you pick)
- 2 page weekly spread (starts Monday through Friday) – 9 sections for each day
- 2 Page monthly calendar (starts on Sunday)
- 12 Month academic year
- Extra pages
- Tabs
Price: $20 USD + Shipping
Even though this is a teacher planner you could use it as a weekly planner for life, meal planning, exercise etc. There are 9 sections for each day – the last 2 columns of the weekly spread could be converted into columns for Saturday and Sunday.
Let’s take a closer look!
To enlarge the screen of the video, click the square icon in the bottom right hand corner of the video (it will say ‘full screen’ when you hover your mouse over the icon).
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The Cover
Even though this planner is dated for 2017 – 2018, Blue Sky come out with new planners each year which tend to be similar to the previous year.
Thin and lightweight, especially for a planner with a larger page size.
Really love the colors of the planner!
Clear frosted cover to prevent wear and tear.
Handy pages at the front for quick reference:
Holidays and Special Dates
Love the style of this page with lined writing space. Most planners just have the pre-filled holidays with no space to add your own events, birthdays etc.
Monthly Calendar
Week starts on a Sunday (not consistent with the weekly spread that starts on Monday).
Lined writing space <3 Wish more calendars included this in the monthly calendar!
Weekly Planner
Week starts on Monday.
Like the monthly calendar, the weekly spread has lined writing space.
I really like that the colors of this planner aren’t ‘in your face’ like some colorful planners.
9 sections for each day. So if you were a teacher you could use this to plan personal things in some of the columns. More columns than most teacher planners planners include.
Even though this is a teacher planner you could use it as a weekly planner for life, meal planning, exercise etc. – the last 2 columns of the weekly spread could be converted into columns for Saturday and Sunday.
Extras pages
Holidays List
America Map
Tabs
The tabs are laminated cardstock. They feel a bit flimsy but should be ok as the cover extends beyond the tabs to protect them.
Pen Testing
I tried various ballpoint, gel, fine tip and marker tip pens. The gel, ballpoint and fine tip pens were ok. The thicker marker pens had bad ghosting though (as per usual).
Highlighters also had bad ghosting – especially my cheap purple highlighter from the Reject shop.
As always, the MAMBI stamps bled through the page ?
Pros of the Planner
- Lightweight
- Colorful without being ‘overdone’
- Lined writing spaces throughout the planner
- Holidays page where you can add your own important dates
- Multiple cover designs to choose from
- Affordable
- Ample space in the weekly spread to plan lessons + personal life
- If you’re not a teacher this planner could easily be adapted into a weekly planner
Cons of the Planner
- No cover personaliation option
- Monthly calendar and weekly planner start day are not consistent
- Large page size can be annoying to take with you on the go
Would I use this planner?
Yes! I’ve used a teacher planner before and converted it in a weekly planner (see here). It worked really well – especially for busy weeks since teacher planners tend to be US letter page size (big).
Update: see how I used the planner in this post!
More planner reviews:
- Creating a custom, personalised planner with Agendio
- Get to Work Book Planner Review (Pros, Cons and a Video Walkthrough)
- Weekly Planner from Unique Planners by Pirongs Review (including video walkthrough)
Planning Tips:
- 10 Quick planner hacks you need to try (planning tips & inspiration)
- How to easily print printables double sided (duplex printing tutorial)
- How to make a scallop border in Photoshop (step by step tutorial) plus free printable color coded note paper
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Love Blue Sky planners. Layouts are great and the colors are perfect only drawback (IMO) is the thin paper. You can see the printing ghost thorough even with the light color prints. Every pen that I have ever used ghosts through and that makes me insane. I’d even pay more for these planners if they used thicker paper.