ChatGPT Prompts for Teachers

A reliable structure for teacher prompts

Start with the outcome: what should the assistant produce and what must be true of the result? Add grade, subject, learning objective, prior knowledge, time, resources, and important student needs without including identifying information. State constraints and the desired format. Official OpenAI model guidance emphasizes clear outcomes, relevant context, constraints, and required output, while avoiding repeated instructions. The first response is a draft; use professional judgment and targeted follow-ups to revise it for the actual class.

Prompt for a lesson outline

Try: Create a [length]-minute lesson outline for [grade and subject] on [topic]. Students already know [prior knowledge]. The objective is [observable objective]. Include a brief warm-up, teacher modeling, guided practice, independent application, two checks for understanding, and an exit ticket. Use only these materials: [list]. Put timing and teacher decisions in a table. After generating, ask which activity is least aligned with the objective and request two alternatives before choosing one.

Prompt for assessment questions

Try: Draft [number] questions that assess [objective] for [grade or course]. Use [formats] and progress from foundational understanding to application. For each item, provide the correct answer, a concise explanation, the misconception behind each distractor, and the intended difficulty. Avoid trick wording and unnecessary reading load. Flag any question that depends on an assumption not stated. Solve and verify every item independently, then revise for alignment, accessibility, and the content actually taught.

Prompt for differentiation options

Try: Suggest three ways to expand access to this lesson objective without changing the objective: [objective and activity]. The class context is [non-identifying context]. Provide one option using vocabulary or language support, one using an alternate representation, and one using chunked guidance. Also provide two extensions that require deeper application rather than extra repetition. For each suggestion, explain the barrier it addresses and what evidence would show the support is working. Select options using actual student knowledge and applicable plans.

Prompt for rubric revision

Try: Review this rubric for [assignment]. Do not change the criteria yet. Identify vague terms, overlap between performance levels, criteria that are not observable, and places where the weighting may not match the assignment objective. Then propose revised parallel descriptors in student-friendly language and explain each change. Keep the same number of levels. Test the draft against representative work and make final decisions yourself; generated rubric language can sound precise while still failing to distinguish performance fairly.

Prompt for feedback without automatic grading

Try: Using this assignment and rubric, organize the de-identified notes below into feedback. Do not assign or change a grade. Produce one strength tied to evidence, one priority for revision, two actionable questions, and a short next step in a respectful tone appropriate for [grade]. Flag any conclusion that is not supported by the notes. Remove names and private information before prompting, follow school policy, and compare every comment with the student's actual work before sending it.

Prompt for family-facing communication

Try: Draft a concise family update about [class topic or event] for [grade]. Include what students are learning, one question families can ask at home, dates or actions from these verified details: [details], and a contact invitation. Use a warm, plain-language tone and avoid educational jargon. Do not invent dates, policies, or promises. Provide a version under [word limit] and flag anything that needs administrator confirmation. Review translation, accessibility, privacy, and school communication rules before sending.

Use follow-ups, verification, and privacy safeguards

Improve a nearly useful response by naming the exact issue: shorten the activity to twenty minutes, align each question to the objective, replace resources we do not have, add language support, or identify unsupported claims. Verify facts, standards, quotations, links, calculations, and citations with authoritative sources. Never enter student names, identifying records, private grades, or sensitive behavior or disability information unless an approved system and policy explicitly permit it. The teacher remains responsible for every resource, message, assessment, and decision used in practice.

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