Ask a class to "take notes" and you'll get three things: students copying every word on the slide, students writing nothing, and one student drawing a remarkably detailed dragon.
Note-taking is a skill, and like any skill, it has to be taught. The format matters less than you'd think. What matters is that students do something with the notes after they write them.
Three formats worth teaching
Guided notes
A handout with the structure filled in and key words left blank. Great for students who struggle to keep up, and for content-heavy days. The risk: students fill in blanks without thinking. Fix it by leaving one open question per page they have to answer in their own words.
Cornell notes
A page split into three parts: notes on the right, questions or key terms on the left, and a summary at the bottom. The left column and the summary are what make it work, because they force students to process the notes, not just record them. If students skip those parts, it's just regular notes with a line down the middle.
Sketch notes
Words plus simple drawings, arrows, and boxes. Students who "can't draw" do fine; stick figures count. Sketch notes work well for processes, timelines, and cause-and-effect.
The habit that matters most
Whatever format you choose, build in a two-minute review at the end of class or the start of the next one. Have students:
Circle the one idea they'd put on a test
Write one question they still have
Turn to a partner and explain one thing from their notes
That review is where the learning sticks. It also doubles as a quick exit ticket. See The Last Five Minutes for more ways to close a lesson.
Reading and annotation
Notes from a lecture and notes from a text are different skills. For reading, teach a small, consistent annotation system: a symbol for the main idea, one for a question, one for a connection. Elevate the Norm has a full guide to annotation strategies for grades 6–12.
Go deeper
Note-Taking Strategies for High School Students: the full comparison on Elevate the Norm.
Digital Reading Strategies for Students: for classes that read mostly on screens.
Checking for Understanding: quick ways to see whether the notes turned into learning.
Want it ready to print
Everything above is free. If you'd rather skip the prep, my TPT store, Teacher Emergency Toolkit, has print-ready packs for grades 6–12, including a free resources shelf and teacher forms and templates.
Need a warm-up for tomorrow? A new set of free bell ringers goes up every morning at Daily Bell Ringers.