ChatGPT for Teachers
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Being a passionate teacher, I've always struggled with finding that perfect balance between my work as a teacher and my personal life. I’ve tip-toed the blurry line between work/life balance and workaholism, and I’ve always teetered towards the latter.
It's a constant juggling act of trying to keep up with lesson plans, grading papers, meeting deadlines, and responding to countless emails, all while still having time for myself and my family AND without sacrificing the quality or professionalism of my work.
I think back to a project I gave my 4th grade students about five years ago where they were instructed to invent a product that would make teachers’ or students’ jobs easier. Of course, many of them wanted to create a robot that could “do their work for them.”
That’s the dream, right?
Recently, my husband introduced me to the chat bot, ChatGPT by OpenAI. A chat bot is basically a computer program that can talk to you like a real person. Think of it like talking to a robot assistant, such as Siri or Alexa, through a messaging platform or website chat. Chat bots use fancy schmancy technology to understand what you're saying and to give you the best possible response.
It's like talking to a virtual assistant that can help you with things like answering questions, finding information, and completing tasks for you. Seriously, I feel like my 4th graders’ dreams have come true, and I have my very own robot that will do all the mundane and time-consuming tasks for me.
Not only has it helped me TREMENDOUSLY to save time on the many teacher tasks I’m expected to perform each day (while simultaneously becoming my new work bestie), but it’s also elevated my teaching. As teachers, we're always on the lookout for innovative ways to support our students and enhance their learning experience. ChatGPT has helped me in this area as well.
In this article, I'll show you how to use ChatGPT to elevate your teaching and simplify your day-to-day responsibilities while saving time and energy so you can focus on what really matters: your students.
Before I dive into the many ways ChatGPT can assist you in your daily tasks, it's important to note that this blog article is not affiliated with ChatGPT or OpenAI in any way. My aim is simply to provide valuable information to help teachers streamline their workload and enhance their teaching abilities.
Alright, now it’s time to buckle up and get ready to learn how this innovative tool can revolutionize your entire teaching world!
Lesson Planning
As much as I enjoy planning a creative lesson, it can be quite daunting to come up with fresh, engaging ideas every week… Not to mention all the requirements that we are expected to include like learning objectives and standards, but we also have to add how we’ll check for understanding or accommodate the various needs and learning styles of all our students (just to name a few).
That's where ChatGPT can come in handy! All you need to do is type in a specific topic or subject matter and the chat bot will generate a list of keywords, concepts, and examples for you to incorporate into your lesson plans… or even write your lesson plans for you!
Examples of what to type in:
Write lesson plans for teaching 2-digit addition to 2nd graders.
What are some activities I can have my 2nd graders complete to help them better understand 2-digit addition?
Student Support and Differentiation
Every student has unique learning needs, and it's our responsibility as teachers to provide them with the support they require.
ChatGPT can help by providing explanations, examples, and resources on a specific topic or subject matter that students may be struggling with. So, if you notice a student is struggling in a particular area, consider turning to ChatGPT for assistance.
Are you looking to differentiate an assignment for your diverse learners? ChatGPT can help you with that, too!
Examples of what to type in:
Explain adjectives for my ESL students.
Give resources for teaching geography to 6th graders.
Give 3 differentiated activities for 3rd grade students on narrative writing.
Grading Assistance
Grading can be a time-consuming and sometimes challenging task, especially when trying to remain fair and consistent. Luckily, ChatGPT can help with that too!
By providing information on grading rubrics, along with suggestions for providing feedback and comments to students, ChatGPT can make grading more efficient and effective.
Examples of what to type in:
Grading rubric for 4th-grade opinion writing assignment
Feedback suggestions for students on long division math homework assignment
Professional Development
As teachers, we never stop learning, and professional development is essential for staying on top of our game. ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for expanding our knowledge and skills. By typing in a specific topic or area of interest, the bot can provide relevant articles, videos, and other resources to help us improve our teaching abilities.
Examples of what to type in:
Professional development resources for math teachers
Articles on teaching with technology
Emails
We all know the struggle of sitting down to write a dreaded email to a parent or colleague. Sometimes, we just can't seem to find the right words to convey our message, and it can be a real pain in the neck.
But fear not, once again ChatGPT is here to save the day! It can help you come up with the perfect phrasing, tone, and even provide relevant resources to include in your email.
Examples of what to type in:
Suggestions for wording a parent email about missing homework
Help me sound less angry in this email to a parent.
Suggestions for how to tell a colleague they need to pull their weight
“It’s important to remember that ChatGPT is a bot and you can’t rely on this resource blindly. It is important to use critical thinking and your own judgment when relying on the chatbot’s suggestions. ”
It’s important to remember that ChatGPT is a bot and you can’t rely on this resource blindly. It is important to use critical thinking and your own judgment when relying on the chatbot’s suggestions.
For all the ideas I mentioned above, I recommend using the chatbot’s responses as a template or outline, and adding your own ideas and personality to customize them for your specific needs and audience. This will help you create more authentic and engaging content and avoid sounding robotic or generic.
Overall, using ChatGPT as a resource can be a valuable tool for learning and inspiration, but it's important to remember to use your own creativity and judgment to make the content truly your own.
And while I still may struggle with not being a workaholic (maybe some deep therapy may help), at least ChatGPT has given me more time in my day by completing tasks at a rapid pace. Maybe it’s the tool you’ve been looking for to assist you, too?
