Nova Escola’s database of 6,000 lesson plans was originally created to support teachers in implementing Brazil’s new National Curriculum Standards. Despite this, lesson planning continues to be one of the most significant challenges for educators. A 2022 Nova Escola study identified it as a persistent issue, and a 2023 survey of over 50,000 educators reinforced that planning for heterogeneous classrooms—common in Brazilian public schools—remains especially difficult.
Lesson plans are vital tools that help structure instruction and ensure that learning objectives are met (UNESCO, 2019). Yet many teachers face barriers to effective planning, including limited experience, lack of time, inadequate resources, and heavy workloads (Nova Escola, 2022).
A McKinsey & Company report (2020) highlights that AI can reduce teachers’ administrative burden by up to 40%. In response, Nova Escola developed a scalable, accessible solution: the WhatsApp Planner for Teachers. Built on our extensive library of curriculum-aligned lesson plans, this tool delivers tailored content directly through WhatsApp—making it accessible even in areas with limited internet access. It empowers teachers with practical support while allowing them to focus on what truly matters: their students’ learning and development.
Recognizing the need for support in implementing Brazil’s new National Standards, we looked to global benchmarks and drew inspiration from U.S.-based LearnZillion. In partnership with Google.org, we created free, online Lesson Plans to bridge the gap between policy and classroom practice. Focused on student learning and grounded in public school realities, the project engaged over 600 teacher-authors. Each plan features a clear skills progression, exercises, teaching guides, and enrichment materials. With an NPS of 88+, this was Brazil’s first national initiative to offer high-quality, accessible classroom content at no cost.
Over the past two years, we’ve explored how AI can help address Brazilian teachers’ most pressing needs. One result of this work is the WhatsApp Planner for Teachers—a simple, accessible tool that acts as a WhatsApp contact. Teachers select a subject and grade, and the tool instantly provides a curriculum-aligned lesson plan. They can request adjustments, such as adapting content for different learning levels or swapping out resources—and our GenAI customizes the plan accordingly. Continuous feedback helps improve the tool over time.
Developed through the 2024 GenAI Accelerator (in partnership with Turn.io, OpenAI, and WhatsApp), the Planner was built using a data-driven, learning-engineering approach with strong teacher input and ongoing evaluation.
Since launching Lesson Plans for teachers in February 2018, we've tracked user feedback to understand usage patterns. The content was adapted for remote learning in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic, and by 2023, Nova Escola’s Lesson Plans attracted nearly 1 million monthly accesses, achieved an NPS score of over 88, and consistently scored above 9 out of 10 on quality assessments.
To develop our WhatsApp Planner, over 1,500 educators shared insights on AI and digital tools, identifying key barriers for adoption. We ran usability tests, six rounds of quality reviews, and gathered feedback after each lesson plan. In partnership with the World Bank, we launched an impact survey to measure outcomes and improve effectiveness. Early feedback confirmed we’re on the right path: the tool scored 8.9/10 for pedagogical relevance and 9.1/10 for ease of reading.
Since February 2025, it has been scaling across Brazil and to this date, we have over 15.000 users who have already created more than 63,000 lesson plans with the tool's support. Early results are promising: 34% of users reported saving 30–60 minutes per class on planning, while another 34% saved 10–30 minutes. Backed by research, including collaboration with the World Bank, we’re committed to evolving this ethical, human-centered AI tool while ensuring it continues to deliver high-quality pedagogical content at scale.
Our library of 6.000 lessons plans, made it by teachers for teachers, is a key solution of Nova Escola’s work, and widely used by teachers. It is also the key database of our innovation, the Whatsapp Planner for Teachers. By using this trustable dataset we ensure our AI is generating quality pedagogical content for teachers.
Developed through the 2024 GenAI Accelerator (in partnership with Turn.io, OpenAI, and WhatsApp), the tool was designed using a data-driven, learning-engineering approach, with strong teacher input and ongoing evaluation. Early feedback confirmed we’re on the right path: the tool scored 8.9/10 for pedagogical relevance and 9.1/10 for ease of reading.
To access our lesson plans, visit Nova Escola’s platform at: https://novaescola.org.br/planos-de-aula. The content is entirely in Portuguese. Simply select the school grade (e.g., 2º ano) and the curricular component (e.g., História). The page will then display the most-used lesson plans, along with an option to view all available content.
To use our WhatsApp Planner, add the following number as a contact: https://wa.me/5511999732391, and start a conversation with our chatbot, ANE. She will ask for the grade you teach and which National Curriculum skill you'd like to work on. ANE will then generate a personalized lesson plan and offer to make adjustments if needed. Once the plan is finalized, she’ll request your feedback. The tool is also fully in Portuguese.
