Teachers across the US use AI tools such as ChatGpt to save time, plan lessons, and improve student learning. It is useful for tasks such as grading, creating worksheets, and translating content. AI is useful, but teachers also take care to guide students to use it appropriately and not relying too much.
Ana Sepulveda, a mathematics teacher for Dallas' sixth grade honor student, has found a new and exciting way to teach geometry. Her students love soccer so she asked Chatgupt for help in creating fun lessons. In just a few seconds, ChatGpt said, “Geometry is everywhere in the soccer, the field, the ball, and even the stadium!”
The lesson explained how shapes and angles are used in soccer, asked students questions like, “Why shapes are important in games?”, and proposed a practical project in which students design soccer fields using rulers and protractors.
“Using AI was a game changer,” Sepulveda said. She uses ChatGpt to translate lessons into Spanish in a dual language classroom. It also helps her plan lessons, talk to her parents and keeps her students more active.
AI saves teacher time and reduces stress
Many teachers across the US are currently using AI tools for their jobs. These tools help them:
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Create quizzes and worksheets
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Plan and design lessons
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Grade paper (especially multiple selection tests)
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Handle documents and administrator tasks
This will allow teachers to spend more time focusing on helping students. A recent Gallup and Walton Family Foundation poll found:
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Six in six public school teachers used AI last year
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Teachers using AI Weekly said they saved about 6 hours each week
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High school teachers and new teachers use it the most
The state is currently providing AI guidelines for classrooms
As more schools begin to use AI, some states are now creating rules and training for teachers. Approximately 24 states share guidance on how to use AI in schools. However, how schools apply this guidance may differ. Maya Israel, an expert at the University of Florida, says AI should not replace teacher judgment. for example:
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Teachers say AI improves the balance between work and work life
Teachers who use AI say it made their work better. About:
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80% said they saved time with worksheets, ratings, and administrative tasks
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60% said it would help improve the quality of the materials they give to students.
Mary McCarthy, a high school teacher in Houston, said the AI tools helped her balance her work with her home life. She uses them for lesson planning and other educational tasks. Thanks to training from the district, she can also teach students how to use AI tools in the right way.
“If you say, 'AI'm gonna be bad, kids are going to be lazy,' then yes, if you don't teach them how to use it properly, that can happen,” McCarthy said. “It's my job to help me understand how to use AI the right way.”
Teachers believe that AI needs to be used with caution
When ChatGpt first launched in 2022, many schools banned it. But now more schools are finding smart ways to bring it into classrooms. Still, many teachers are careful not to rely too much on AI for their students.
Some teachers are learning how to recognize when students use AI to write assignments. For example, Darren Burkett, an English teacher at a high school in Colorado, shared that AI-written works usually contain no grammatical errors and use extremely complex languages that do not match how students usually write. He personally uses ChatGpt to help with grading and lesson planning, but he carefully checks students' work to ensure that he doesn't misuse the tools.
