Teachers do not need AI to teach. They need it for the hours around teaching: the differentiated worksheet at 10pm, the fortieth feedback comment, the parent email that needs to be firm without starting a war.
These ChatGPT prompts for teachers are built for those jobs. Each one has brackets to fill. They work the same way in Claude and Gemini.
Before you start: three things never to paste in
- Student names with anything personal. Use initials or "Student A".
- Safeguarding or SEN details that identify a child. Describe the need, not the child.
- Anything your school's AI policy rules out. Check it first; many schools now have one.
Lesson planning
1. Plan a [length]-minute lesson on [topic] for [year group].
Include a starter, main activity, and a check for
understanding. Assume [number] students and no devices.
2. Give me three different hooks to open a lesson on [topic]
for students who find it boring. One must use a real event.
3. Turn this scheme of work into a week-by-week plan with one
line per lesson: [paste].
4. What are the five most common misconceptions students have
about [topic], and a quick question to surface each?
5. Write a model answer to this exam question at a [grade]
standard, then one at a lower standard, so I can show the
difference: [question].Differentiation
6. Rewrite this text at three reading levels: [age] reading age,
on level, and stretch. Keep the key facts identical: [text].
7. Create a scaffolded version of this task for students who
struggle with extended writing. Add sentence starters and a
word bank: [task].
8. Give me three extension questions on [topic] that require
evaluation, not more recall.
9. Adapt this worksheet for a student who has [describe need,
not the student]: [worksheet].Quizzes and assessment
10. Write ten multiple-choice questions on [topic] for [year].
Make the wrong answers plausible misconceptions, and give
the answer key separately.
11. Create a five-question exit ticket for today's lesson on
[topic], from easiest to hardest.
12. Turn this mark scheme into a student-friendly checklist they
can use to self-assess: [mark scheme].Feedback
13. Here is a student's answer and the mark scheme. Suggest one
strength and one next step, each in one sentence a [age]
year old would understand: [answer] [mark scheme].
14. I have noted these common errors across the class: [list].
Write a whole-class feedback sheet with an example and a
fix for each.
15. Rewrite my feedback comments below so they are specific and
kind, and shorter: [comments].Parents and admin
16. Draft an email to a parent about [issue]. Firm, factual, no
blame, and end with a clear next step. Under 150 words.
17. Write a reply to this parent complaint that acknowledges
their concern, states what the school will do, and does not
promise anything I cannot deliver: [complaint].
18. Turn these notes into a short report comment for [subject],
in the school's tone: [notes].
19. Draft a newsletter paragraph about [event] for parents.
Warm, plain, under 120 words.
20. Summarise this policy document into the five things a new
teacher actually needs to know: [policy].Make it remember you
Retyping your subject and year groups every time is the biggest time-waster. Put them in custom instructions once:
I teach [subject] to [year groups] at a [type of school] in
[country]. Use [British / American] spelling. Keep student-facing
text at the right reading age. Never invent quotes, dates or
statistics; if unsure, say so.Our custom instructions template walks through the rest.
Questions people ask
Is it OK for teachers to use ChatGPT?
For planning and admin, most schools allow it within their AI policy. The line is usually student personal data and anything that replaces your professional judgement on grades.
Can ChatGPT mark essays?
It can suggest feedback against a mark scheme, but it is inconsistent at awarding marks. Use it for comments, and keep the grade yours.
Which AI is best for teachers?
Whichever your school approves. The prompts above work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini with no changes.
Where to take this next
Pick the five prompts closest to your week and save them somewhere you will see them. If you want a full assistant set up around your subject and school, The Pack builds instructions and task files from your profile.
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