The "Guilt" of Efficiency
There is a strange stigma in the staff lounge. If a student uses AI to write an essay, we call it cheating. So, when a teacher uses AI to write a lesson plan or an email to a parent, they often feel a twinge of guilt. "Shouldn't I be doing this myself? Is this lazy?"
Let’s be clear: Using AI in teaching to handle administrative work is not cheating. It is survival.
A 2025 Gallup poll found that teachers who use AI weekly save an average of 6 hours per week. That is not just time; that is a lifeline. It is the difference between staying at school until 6:00 PM and going home to have dinner with your own family. AI allows you to outsource the "robot work" so you can have the energy for the "human work."
The Rule of Thumb: Robot Work vs. Human Work
To use AI ethically and effectively, you need to separate your job into two piles.
Pile 1: The Robot Work (Give this to AI) These are tasks that require data processing, formatting, or generic communication.
Drafting newsletters.
Formatting worksheets.
Writing rubric criteria.
Grading multiple-choice quizzes.
Responding to basic scheduling emails.
Pile 2: The Human Work (Keep this for yourself) These are tasks that require empathy, intuition, and relationship-building.
Mentoring a student through a crisis.
Deciding how to teach a sensitive topic.
Calling a parent to discuss behavior.
Giving qualitative feedback on a personal narrative essay.
When you use AI to clear Pile 1, you suddenly have way more energy for Pile 2.
Strategy 1: The "Email Drafter"
The average teacher sends dozens of emails a week. Most of them are repetitive. Instead of typing them from scratch, use AI as your secretary.
The "Professional Email" Prompt
Context: I need to send an email to a parent. Topic: Their student, [Name], has been missing homework for three days but is doing well in class participation. Tone: Supportive, not accusatory. Partnering with the parent. Task: Draft a short email (under 100 words) asking if there is anything we can do to support them at home.
Why it saves time: It removes the emotional labor of trying to find the "perfect polite phrasing." You just check the draft, tweak it, and hit send.
Strategy 2: The "Rubric Architect"
Creating a fair rubric is mentally draining. You have to decide the difference between a "4" and a "3" for five different categories. AI can generate a grid in seconds.
The "Instant Rubric" Prompt
Task: Create a grading rubric for a 5th-grade persuasive essay. Columns: 4 (Exceeds), 3 (Meets), 2 (Approaching), 1 (Below). Rows: Thesis Statement, Evidence, Organization, Grammar. Constraint: Use student-friendly language (e.g., "I can..." statements). Format as a table.
You can then paste this directly into Google Docs or your LMS.
Strategy 3: The "Differentiation Engine"
Modifying a test for a student with an IEP usually means re-typing the whole thing. AI can do it instantly.
Input: Paste your existing quiz questions.
Prompt: "Rewrite these questions to be more accessible for a student with a 3rd-grade reading level. Simplify the vocabulary but keep the concepts the same."
This ensures equity without requiring you to work double overtime.
Try This Today: The "Friday Afternoon" Audit
Look at your to-do list for this week. Circle the three most boring, repetitive tasks.
Ask the AI to do one of them for you.
Use that saved time to take a walk, drink a coffee, or just breathe.
You are a better teacher when you are rested. Let the AI handle the paperwork.
Is Using AI as a Teacher Ethical? Teach & Tell Podcast S2 E4 This podcast episode explores the guilt teachers feel about using AI and explains why streamlining your workload isn't "cheating"—it's essential for preventing burnout.
