Transforming My Teaching With AI and ChatGPT

The author (not pictured) is a teacher who often uses ChatGPT. StockPlanets/Getty Images

As a journalism educator, my first encounter with ChatGPT was filled with anxiety. I teach my students about proper sourcing and the ethics of plagiarism, so the idea of using AI felt like a contradiction. What if someone was watching? And worse, what if I actually found it useful?

Spoiler alert: I did, and it has been a game-changer for my teaching.

From Fear to Functionality My AI Journey

There's a lot of talk among teachers about how students might use AI to cheat, but we often overlook how these tools can benefit us. I've started using ChatGPT in practical, everyday ways to make my job more manageable.

Recently, I was running a 16-week ELA and math tutoring program, but the provided materials weren't connecting with my students. I used ChatGPT to adapt the content, making it far more digestible and effective for them.

How I Use ChatGPT to Supercharge My Teaching

With AI, I can customize my lessons in minutes. Need a review on tens and ones? Done. A bar graph using ice cream flavors? No problem. A worksheet for first-grade fractions? I've done that too. I've even experimented with creating custom Bingo boards just for fun.

AI has also become my teaching assistant at home. When my 6th grader needed to study the states of matter or ancient China, we turned to ChatGPT together. It can generate multiple-choice quizzes, complete with answer keys, faster than I can make dinner. I've used it for everything from India's monsoon season to creating a quiz on spotting fake news.

Looking back at my ChatGPT history, I realized just how much I've used it to create effective study guides. One guide I made for "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton helped my son earn an A on his quiz.

The Irreplaceable Human Element of Education

As much as I rely on AI, I know it will never solve all my classroom challenges. It can't comfort a crying student who is worried about their grades. It doesn't have the judgment to decide if a student is sick enough to see the school nurse. And it certainly can't help me understand the deep-seated reasons why a student grasps one concept but struggles with another.

But considering all the complexities of being an educator today, I'll gladly take the help, even if it means I always have to double-check the facts.

A Cautious but Optimistic Future with AI

I still feel a twinge of guilt when I ask AI to check my grammar or streamline my writing. I'm not sure if it's because I needed the help or because the results are often so good.

Ultimately, ChatGPT has made me a more efficient teacher. I can create tailored study guides and lesson plans that truly benefit my students. This frees up my time to focus on what really matters: connecting with them and addressing their individual needs.

I'm glad I took that leap of faith, and I'm excited to keep exploring what AI can do as it continues to evolve.