Discover how Australian teachers can save hours on admin and lesson planning with effective AI prompts specific to teachers. This guide shows you exactly how.
If you are already using AI for work efficiency, you are familiar with the wordy generic answers that are either not useful or do not sound like you. It takes many revisions to get closer to the response you were initially seeking.
In a way all software, including AI large language models, works like a more complex version of a calculator – the more precise your inputs, the more accurate your output. Let’s have a look at an easy framework that will help make your input into AI as specific as possible for the best initial response. You might still need to clarify and tweak that first output to get the optimal result, but this method will give you a better starting point.
The Teacher’s Framework for Prompting
Writing good prompts reminds me of a process essay. Imagine the reader (AI software) has no idea what to do (because it doesn’t without your instructions. Then provide clear step-by-step detailed instructions.
1. Define the TASK (The “What”)
Vague: “Help me with a lesson on fractions.”
Specific: “Generate a 10-question differentiated worksheet on adding fractions with unlike denominators.”
2. Assign a ROLE (The “Who”)
Giving the AI a persona filters its tone and perspective. You speak to your students differently than to parents. Get your chosen AI to
do the same.
Instead of: “Write a parent email about the excursion.”
Try: “Act as a Year 4 teacher with a warm, professional tone. Write a parent email about the upcoming zoo excursion, outlining the curriculum links and requesting two parent volunteers.”
3. Provide CONTEXT (The “Why”)
As mentioned above, specific details matter.
Include: Subject, grade level, prior knowledge, learning objectives, and constraints.
Example: “I teach a mixed-ability Year 9 Science class in a Victorian secondary school. We are currently on a 5-week unit on chemical reactions. My students have covered atomic structure but haven’t explored the periodic table in depth. They struggle with abstract concepts and benefit from concrete analogies”
4. Specify the FORMAT (The “How”)
Don’t settle for a wall of text. Tell the AI how you would like the output to be structured. That way you won’t need to manually format it.
Here are some examples: “Present as a 3-column table,” “Format as a bulleted student handout,” “Structure the rubric as a 4-point scale,” or “Create a Google Slides outline with speaker notes”.
5. Acknowledge Your AUDIENCE (The “Who For”)
Tailor the complexity and tone to the end consumer of the produced material. You differentiate instinctively every day. You can tell AI
to do the same.
Example: “Explain tectonic plate movement to a Year 6 student reading two years below grade level using simple analogies. Then, write a separate extension paragraph using disciplinary vocabulary for a gifted student.”
A Step-by-Step Example: Building Your Prompt
Watch how your expertise shapes the outcome as each component is added.
Stage 1 (Ineffective): “Create an assessment for Year 9 students on World War II.”
Stage 2 (Better): “Act as an expert History teacher. Create a 10-question assessment for my Year 9 students on the causes of World
War II, including a mix of multiple choice and short answer questions.”
Stage 3 (Teacher Ready): “Act as an expert History teacher. Create a 10-question formative assessment for my Year 9 students on
the causes of World War II, specifically focusing on the Treaty of Versailles and the rise of fascism. Provide the answer key beneath the questions. Include a 3-point rubric for scoring short answer responses. Finally, generate a list of 5 key vocabulary terms for a pretest.”
See how your clear directions turn a vague request into something useful. The more effort you invest upfront in the prompt, the less
time you’ll spend editing the result.
Free Resource: 10 Privacy Safe AI Prompts for Teachers
Here is a document with 10 examples of AI prompts for teachers that you can print out and refer to as you practise your prompt
writing. Choose either the primary or the secondary version and click on the link to download.
10 Privacy-Safe AI Prompts – Primary
10 Privacy-Safe AI Prompts – Secondary
As you explore the provided prompts:
- Reflect on how each sample could be further refined or made more specific for your unique class and students.
- Experiment by copying and pasting the prompts into different AI chats to compare outputs and discover which service best
suits your needs. - Tweak the prompts to see if you can improve the results to better align with what you’re looking for.
- And most importantly, enjoy the process. Prompt exploration is a chance to play, discover, and expand what’s possible in your
teaching practice. Use your creativity.
Advanced Techniques for Teachers Ready to Go Further
Once you feel confident with the above framework, here are some tips to help you refine AI answers. This will help you to arrive at the most polished version of the output that you will feel happy with.
1. The Interview Technique: If you’re unsure where to start, let the AI interview you. It forces the system to gather the context from you.
“Ask me five questions about my Year 8 Science class so you can help me plan a unit on electricity. Ask one at a time.”
2. The Few Shot Pattern: Use an AI output that you like as an example, then ask for similar ones. You can also use your own writing and ask AI to to mirror your voice.
“Here is a feedback comment I would give: ‘Your character analysis is insightful but support each claim with a quotation.’ Now generate six similar comments for this student essay draft.”
3. Self-Reflection: Treat the first response as a rough draft. Ask the AI to critique and improve its own work, saving you the mental load.
“Review the lesson plan you just created. Identify three missing elements and suggest two improvements. Then rewrite it.”
Final Note: You’ve Got This
Prompting tends to become a dialogue rather than a one-off transaction. The initial output is rarely the final product. You can use the above techniques to help speed up the polishing process. Request revisions, adjust tones, and add constraints with each follow up.
Note: Always review, fact-check, and personalise the AI’s output to ensure it aligns with your curriculum and your students’ needs.
You can use AI to handle the heavy lifting, including drafts, rubrics, and multiple-choice variations, so that you have more energy for the human engagement with your students, inspiring curiosity, building relationships, and adapting in real time to the class in front of you.