Teachers are discovering that AI isn't just another tech tool—it's a creative partner that's redefining what's possible in the classroom. When leveraged effectively, AI can help you reimagine your teaching approach, reach students with diverse learning needs, and inject fresh creativity into your lesson plans.

The secret to unlocking this potential? Knowing exactly what to ask.

We've curated 7 practical, ready-to-use prompts specifically designed to help you harness AI for planning lessons, delivering feedback, engaging students, and strengthening parent communication. Whether you're just dipping your toes into AI waters or already swimming confidently, these prompts require zero setup and have minimal learning curve.

Transform your teaching with these 7 AI prompts

1. "Rewrite this [lesson objective] in student-friendly language for [grade level]."

Educational standards and objectives often come wrapped in academic language that can feel disconnected from students' everyday experiences. This prompt instantly transforms those dense standards into language that resonates with your students.

For example, a middle school science standard like "Students will analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after interaction to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred" could become: "You'll observe materials before and after mixing them, and look for clues like color changes or bubbling to decide if they created a new substance."

This simple translation not only saves valuable planning time but also ensures your students understand exactly what they're working toward from the moment class begins.

➡️ Try it in Co-Teacher

2. "Give me feedback on this student response to [prompt]. Focus on one area to improve and one strength."

Effective feedback is specific, balanced, and actionable—but crafting it for every student can be time-consuming. This prompt helps you generate thoughtful responses that acknowledge student strengths while providing clear guidance for growth.

Whether you're preparing written comments or planning one-on-one conferences, this approach keeps feedback focused and constructive. It also serves as an excellent model for peer feedback activities, demonstrating to students how to give balanced critiques.

➡️ Try it in Essay Grading Assistant

3. "Create 3 multiple-choice questions based on this article/text, with one correct answer and one explanation for each choice."

Turn any reading material into an immediate comprehension check with this versatile prompt. Within seconds, you'll have focused questions ready for:

• Beginning-of-class warm-ups

• Exit tickets to assess understanding

• Quick formative assessments during a lesson

• Homework reinforcement activities

The added explanations for each answer choice provide valuable insight into student thinking, helping you identify not just whether students understand, but where their misconceptions might lie.

➡️ Try it in Multiple Choice Quiz Tool

4. "Suggest 3 engaging class activities for teaching [topic] to [grade level]. At least one should be interactive, and all should require minimal prep."

When you're feeling stuck in a teaching rut or need to approach a challenging topic from a fresh angle, this prompt delivers diverse teaching strategies tailored to your specific grade level and subject matter.

The results might include:

• Structured discussions that promote critical thinking

• Hands-on activities that bring abstract concepts into the tangible world

• Creative projects that appeal to different learning modalities

By specifying "minimal prep," you ensure the suggestions are practical for your busy schedule while still delivering high-impact learning experiences.

➡️ Try it in Co-Teacher

5. "List common misconceptions students have about [concept], and how to address them."

Great teachers don't just present information—they anticipate student confusion and proactively address it. This prompt leverages AI to identify typical stumbling blocks students encounter with specific concepts, allowing you to:

• Design lessons that explicitly tackle potential misconceptions

• Prepare targeted examples that clarify difficult points

• Create formative assessments that reveal whether students hold common misconceptions

• Develop visual aids that address frequently misunderstood concepts

By addressing these issues before they take root, you'll build stronger foundational understanding and save valuable instructional time that might otherwise be spent correcting misunderstandings.

➡️ Try it in Common Core Expert

6. "Generate a 10-minute bellringer activity to review [previous topic] for [grade level]."

Starting class with a purpose sets the tone for successful learning. This prompt creates focused warm-up activities that accomplish multiple goals simultaneously:

• Activate prior knowledge to prepare students for new learning

• Reinforce key concepts through spaced repetition

• Establish a predictable routine that helps students transition into learning mode

• Provide you with valuable minutes to handle administrative tasks

These AI-generated bellringers can include quick writing prompts, problem-solving challenges, discussion questions, or review games—all tailored to your specific content and grade level.

➡️ Try it in Bellringer Space

7. "Write a quick message I can send to a parent summarizing a student's improvement in [skill or behavior]. Keep it positive and specific."

Building strong home-school partnerships is essential, but maintaining consistent parent communication can be challenging. This prompt helps you craft positive, specific messages that:

• Highlight student growth and progress

• Focus on specific skills or behaviors rather than generic praise

• Maintain a constructive, encouraging tone

• Create opportunities for continued support at home

These communications strengthen your relationship with families while taking just a fraction of the time traditionally required.

➡️ Try it in Class Newsletter Tool

Beyond the basics: Creating your own AI teaching tools

These seven prompts are just the beginning. As you become more comfortable integrating AI into your teaching practice, you can develop customized prompts tailored to your unique classroom challenges and teaching style.

Start by identifying a specific need or pain point in your teaching process. Perhaps you want to differentiate instruction more efficiently, create better formative assessments, or develop more engaging project-based learning experiences. Describe your goal with specificity, and you'll be surprised at how effectively AI can help you address it.

➡️ Build Your Own in SchoolAI

The bottom line: AI as your teaching partner

The most powerful aspect of AI in education isn't about replacing teacher expertise—it's about amplifying it. These tools give you the ability to accomplish more with your limited time, think in new ways about familiar content, and customize learning experiences to meet diverse student needs.

By starting with these seven prompts, you're taking the first step toward a more innovative, responsive teaching practice—one that combines your irreplaceable classroom expertise with AI's ability to generate ideas, create materials, and handle routine tasks.

You're only one prompt away from a better way to teach. Want to learn more? Sign up for SchoolAI. It’s always free for teachers, so get started and transform your classroom today.

Key takeaways

• Effective AI use in teaching is about asking the right questions, not just having access to the technology.

• AI can handle routine tasks like translation, feedback generation, and assessment creation, freeing teachers to focus on relationship-building and personalized instruction.

• Start simple with pre-built prompts, then progress to creating your own custom AI teaching tools as your confidence grows.

• The goal isn't to replace teacher expertise but to amplify it—combining your classroom wisdom with AI's ability to generate diverse ideas and materials.

• Regular, specific parent communication becomes sustainable when leveraging AI to help craft your messages.