Educator Toolkit

Everything You Need to Teach Like a Pro

Lesson plan templates, visual aids, rubrics, and classroom management cheat sheets — built for cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail tech instructors. Free with your SGS subscription.

Instructor License Program Instructor Hub

Sample Lesson Plan Template

Every lesson should answer four questions: what students will learn, how, with what materials, and how it will be measured. Use this template as a starting point or download it for your own classroom.

Lesson plan template preview on a clean wood desk

What's in the SGS Lesson Plan Template

  • Objective — written in measurable terms (ABCD format)
  • State board alignment — which exam topic this hits
  • Materials & setup — checklist for the educator and students
  • Anticipatory set — opener that hooks attention
  • Direct instruction — concept delivery with examples
  • Demonstration — narrated technique walk-through
  • Guided practice — supervised attempts with feedback
  • Independent practice — student work toward mastery
  • Assessment — how you'll measure learning
  • Closure — recap + preview of next lesson
  • Reflection notes — what worked, what to adjust
Download Template (Coming Soon)

Visual Aid Gallery

A diagram beats a thousand bullet points. These reference visuals are ready to drop into your slides, handouts, or printed cheat sheets — and they're built into the SGS curriculum.

Bloom's Taxonomy pyramid: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create

Pedagogy

Bloom's Taxonomy

Six levels of cognitive complexity. Use it to write lesson objectives that move beyond recall.

Learning styles quadrant: Visual, Auditory, Reading/Writing, Kinesthetic

Pedagogy

Learning Styles

Visual, auditory, reading/writing, kinesthetic. Mix all four in every lesson.

Comparison chart of diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment

Assessment

Assessment Types

Diagnostic, formative, summative — when to use each and what they measure.

Nail structure diagram with top and side views, labeled with free edge, nail plate, eponychium, lunula, matrix, and hyponychium

Nail Technology

Nail Anatomy (Top & Side View)

Free edge, nail plate, eponychium, lunula, matrix, hyponychium — every term students need to recognize on the state board.

Fitzpatrick skin type scale showing all six types side by side

Esthetics

Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale

All six types with characteristics — essential for esthetics consultations and chemical-service planning.

Chain of infection diagram with 6 links

Infection Control

Chain of Infection

Six links — pathogen, reservoir, exit, transmission, entry, host. Break any one to break the chain.

Hair growth cycle diagram: Anagen, Catagen, Telogen

Cosmetology

Hair Growth Cycle

Anagen, catagen, telogen — the three phases every cosmetologist should explain to clients.

Classroom Management Cheat Sheet

A four-quadrant strategy for keeping your classroom and clinic floor running smoothly. Print it, post it, share it with new educators on your team.

Prevention

  • Co-create classroom norms with students on day one
  • Post expectations visibly
  • Plan transitions explicitly
  • Match seating to activity
  • Build relationships before you need them

Engagement

  • Vary methods every 10–15 minutes
  • Use call-and-response or quick polls
  • Wait time after questions (3–5 sec)
  • Connect content to state-board outcomes
  • Celebrate small wins out loud

Response

  • Address behavior privately when possible
  • Stay calm — model regulation
  • Reteach the expectation, don't just punish
  • Document patterns objectively
  • Loop in advising for repeat issues

Recovery

  • Repair the relationship after correction
  • Reflect: what triggered the issue?
  • Adjust the next lesson if needed
  • Follow through on commitments
  • Self-care — managing classrooms is hard

Rubric Example: Practical Haircut Assessment

A clear rubric removes guesswork. Here's a snapshot of how SGS scores a foundational haircut on the clinic floor — feel free to adapt for your own program.

Criteria Beginning (1) Developing (2) Proficient (3) Distinguished (4)
Sanitation & Setup Tools not sanitized; station unprepared Partial sanitation; station partially set Tools sanitized per state board; station ready Exemplary sanitation; station anticipates every step
Consultation Skipped or rushed Brief; missing key questions Complete; client preferences confirmed Exceptional; client visibly at ease and informed
Sectioning & Technique Disorganized; technique unclear Basic technique; some uneven work Even sections; technique matches the cut Precise sectioning; advanced control
Safety & Posture Multiple safety lapses Generally safe; ergonomics need work Safe throughout; good posture Models safety and ergonomics for peers
Final Result Not aligned with consultation Mostly aligned; finish needs work Matches the consultation; clean finish Exceeds expectation; portfolio-quality finish

Become an Instructor with SGS

All of the above is included in the Instructor License program. 1,800+ practice questions across 18 study units, downloadable templates, and the same visual aids your students will see in their classroom.

Explore Instructor License View Pricing