AI isn’t here to replace you. It is here to support you. Imagine if you had a co-teacher who worked tirelessly to help you plan and spark new ideas. (Shoutout to the best student-teacher I ever had – Gil Concepcion, you were so clutch in 2020!) That’s what AI can do for us as teachers. I absolutely hate that these tools are marketed as magical time-saving machines. For me, the real value lies in its ability to help me improve the quality of my teaching. AI can help you reimagine what’s possible in your classroom! Starting projects and lesson plans at 30% done instead of zero can translate into having more time to find ways to engage every student. As Peter Drucker has said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” There is huge potential for AI to not just help us save time but improve the quality of education.

So, why should you explore AI right now? Here are five reasons to take the plunge and start making your classroom more impactful today.

Thoughtful Planning Made Easier

I use AI to enhance my lesson plans in deeper ways. For example:

• Build more representation in the curriculum and incorporate global perspectives. For instance, I’ve used AI to research games played around the world, bringing international mindedness (and new fun games!) into my PE class.
• Get fresh ideas for building a community tailored to the unique needs of your students.
• Make tough concepts click by generating analogies that simplify complex ideas.
• Spark creativity with project ideas that give students ownership and the freedom to innovate.

It’s like having an AI-teacher bestie ready to chat 24/7 to help generate ideas and make my planning more thoughtful and reflective than I could achieve on my own. More important than doing things faster… I want to do them better. AI can help you focus on what matters most. So, what might this look like for you?

Tip for Crafting More Inclusive Lessons 

Here’s a general prompt you might copy/paste to tell your bot to generate equity-minded, inclusive content…

“Hi, [ChatGPT]. Please help me integrate diverse perspectives on [insert topic]. Provide resources and discussion questions that highlight underrepresented voices and challenge biases. How can we use these to enhance inclusivity and empathy in the curriculum?” 

• Model Lifelong Learning

Students look to you as a guide, and what better way to teach adaptability than by diving into something new yourself? When I first started experimenting with AI, I realized I didn’t need to be a “prompt engineering” expert. I just need to be curious! Tip: Talk to your bot like you are collaborating with a student-teacher.

• Make Learning Fun

AI tools can make your content come alive for your students, helping you create activities that they’ll actually enjoy. Create interactive activities tailored to students’ interests, add humor to lessons, and make projects more collaborative and creative, or allow for student choice (making learning more enjoyable}. Fun learning experiences also lead to greater engagement, helping students retain information and develop a positive attitude toward learning. #winning

• Promote Equity

AI can help you personalize learning and reach students who might otherwise be left behind. Use AI to generate materials tailored to different abilities, languages, or learning preferences, ensuring every student gets the support they need. Additionally, AI can suggest culturally relevant content to help all students see themselves in the curriculum, fostering a more inclusive learning environment.

• Leverage Your Human Skills

AI can’t replace your empathy, creativity, or ability to inspire! If anything, it frees you up to bring these qualities even more into focus. No matter how advanced technology gets, the empathy you bring when you listen to a student, the creativity you apply to inspire them, and the human connections you forge are irreplaceable. AI helps amplify these qualities, not replace them.

As you embrace AI in your classroom, remember that small steps can lead to big changes. How might you experiment with AI this week to save time or add a creative twist to your teaching?

What if AI could help you tackle the things that matter most, like making your lessons more inclusive and engaging? Start small, and let these ideas inspire you to explore AI’s potential in ways that fit your teaching style.

Teaching has always been about human connection, creativity, and care. AI doesn’t change that. Instead, it opens new doors, offering tools to help you work smarter and deepen your impact. The key is simply to spend time using AI on tasks that matter to you. That’s how you’ll develop an intuition for what’s possible. The future of education is being built in classrooms like yours, one thoughtful choice at a time.

See all of our AI Resources on our Silicon Valley Artificial Intelligence Project initiative page.