25 ChatGPT prompts teachers can adapt for planning, assessment, and communication

AI prompts can save drafting time, but they work best as starting points, not finished classroom materials.

OpenAI’s guidance for educators advises teachers to adapt prompts to their own context and to review outputs carefully because models can be incorrect.

A useful pattern is to give the model the same planning details a colleague would need: grade level, topic, prior knowledge, learning goals, and classroom context. The more specific the setup, the easier the draft is to evaluate and revise responsibly.

How to use this prompt library well

The prompts below are written to be copied, adapted, and checked. They are not meant to replace professional judgment, course materials, or school requirements.

Before using any draft in class, review it for accuracy, level, bias, missing steps, and fit with your curriculum. If a response touches student records, accommodations, health, safeguarding, or assessment, follow your school’s data-handling and professional-review procedures before using it.

• Start with context: grade level, subject, topic, prior knowledge, learning goals, and any classroom constraints.
• Ask for one format at a time: a table, a checklist, a short list, or a draft email.
• Add a safety constraint such as “Do not invent standards, student data, or resources I did not provide.”
• Finish with a review instruction such as “Flag anything that needs teacher verification before use.”

1–5: Lesson planning prompts

These prompts are most useful when you provide the planning details up front and then revise the draft for your own sequence, examples, and materials.

• 1. Standard lesson draft: “Draft a [duration]-minute lesson for [grade level] [subject] on [topic]. Students already know [prior knowledge]. Learning goal: [goal]. Classroom context: [class size, materials, timing, support needs]. Include a warm-up, modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and an exit ticket. Return it as a table. If any part depends on assumptions, label them clearly for teacher review.”
• 2. Low-prep substitute plan: “Create a low-prep substitute plan for a [duration]-minute [grade level] [subject] class reviewing [topic]. Activities should require no specialist knowledge beyond the written directions. Include a read-aloud script, one independent task, one partner task, and an early-finisher option. Keep instructions concrete and flag anything the regular teacher should customize.”
• 3. Lesson hook ideas: “Give me 8 opening hooks for a [grade level] lesson on [topic]. Include a mix of visual, discussion-based, movement-based, and curiosity-building options. Each should take 3–5 minutes. Avoid props I have not listed. End each idea with one sentence explaining what prior knowledge it activates.”
• 4. Unit skeleton: “Outline a [length] unit for [grade level] [subject] on [topic]. Students begin with [prior knowledge]. Goals: [learning goals]. Classroom context: [constraints]. Include an essential question, a rough pacing sequence, possible formative checkpoints, and one culminating task. Do not invent standards. If alignment needs teacher confirmation, mark those places clearly.”
• 5. Backward-design starting point: “My learning goal is [objective] for [grade level] [subject]. Work backward from that goal. Draft an exit ticket showing what success could look like, then suggest three short lesson components that would prepare students for it. Keep each component tied directly to the goal and add a note on what I should verify before teaching it.”

6–10: Differentiation and access prompts

These prompts can help teachers generate options, but they should not override formal plans, accommodations, or specialist input.

When accommodations or student-specific supports are involved, follow school procedures for privacy, documentation, and review.

• 6. Reading-level rewrite: “Rewrite this passage for three levels of support: lighter language, on-level language, and added challenge. Keep the core meaning. Preserve any key content terms I mark as essential: [terms]. If a sentence changes the meaning, flag it for teacher review. [Paste text]”
• 7. Language-support pass: “Add language supports to this lesson plan for multilingual learners. Include key vocabulary with simple definitions, sentence frames, ideas for visuals, and a brief partner-talk routine. Annotate the lesson inline. Do not change the content goal unless you label it as a suggestion. [Paste lesson]”
• 8. Accommodation-aware planning prompt: “Using this lesson plan, suggest possible adjustments for these classroom supports: [supports]. Give specific changes to directions, timing, grouping, materials, or response options. Do not treat these suggestions as a substitute for the student’s official plan. Flag any recommendation that needs specialist or school review. [Paste lesson]”
• 9. Early-finisher options: “Suggest 6 meaningful early-finisher activities for [grade level] students on [topic]. Each should take 5–15 minutes, use ordinary classroom materials only, and deepen the same learning rather than add unrelated busy work. For each option, state the skill it extends.”
• 10. Challenge extensions: “Create 3 extension choices for this assignment: one creative, one analytical, and one applied. Keep them on the same topic but increase complexity. Make each option possible without extra teacher preparation. End with a short note on which students the task might suit best. [Paste assignment]”

11–15: Assessment and feedback prompts

Assessment prompts can help with drafting criteria and item types, but they need especially careful review for validity, clarity, and fairness.

If your school has formal assessment requirements, moderation steps, or approved formats, apply those before use.

• 11. Four-point rubric draft: “Draft a 4-point rubric for [assignment] for [grade level]. Criteria: [list]. Write clear descriptors for levels 4, 3, 2, and 1. Keep the language observable and student-facing where possible. Do not include criteria I did not name. After the rubric, list any descriptors that may be too vague and need teacher revision.”
• 12. Student-friendly rubric language: “Rewrite this rubric in simpler student-facing language. Keep the same criteria and performance levels. Use clear ‘I can’ statements where appropriate, but preserve the original expectations. Flag any places where simplification may have changed the meaning. [Paste rubric]”
• 13. Exit-ticket bank: “Generate 10 exit-ticket ideas for [grade level] [topic]. Include a mix of formats such as multiple choice, short answer, explanation, and reflection. Each should be quick to complete and tied to the learning goal: [goal]. Mark which items are best for checking recall, understanding, or transfer.”
• 14. Constructed-response questions: “Write 5 constructed-response prompts for [grade level] [subject] on [topic]. Students should need evidence, explanation, or comparison, not just recall. If a prompt depends on a text, data set, or source I have not provided, say so instead of inventing one.”
• 15. Fast formative checks: “Suggest 6 quick formative checks for a [duration]-minute lesson on [topic]. Each should take about a minute or less to launch and should tell me something specific about student understanding. For each, include what I would look or listen for before deciding on my next step.”

16–19: Family and caregiver communication prompts

Communication drafts can reduce blank-page stress, but they should be edited for accuracy, tone, and local expectations before sending.

Do not paste sensitive student information into a tool unless your school’s process allows it.

• 16. Concern email draft: “Draft a brief family email about this concern: [situation]. Use a calm, professional tone. Include one strength, the concern stated factually, and two practical next steps. Do not add details I did not provide. Leave placeholders where I should insert specifics before sending.”
• 17. Behavior-incident summary: “Draft a neutral email or call script about this classroom incident: [facts only]. Use factual language, describe the immediate classroom response, and note that I will follow school procedures. Do not speculate about motives or diagnosis. Mark all places where teacher confirmation is required.”
• 18. Positive update message: “Write a short positive message home about a student’s progress in [skill or habit]. Keep it specific and warm without exaggeration. Use placeholders for details I must confirm.”
• 19. Welcome letter draft: “Draft a family welcome letter for [grade level]. Include what students will study, a few classroom expectations in plain English, and one or two ways families can support learning at home. Keep the tone warm and practical. Use brackets wherever school-specific communication routines need to be inserted.”

20–22: Student-support planning prompts

These prompts should be handled with extra care. They may be useful for turning formal language into practical classroom actions, but they do not replace official plans, meetings, or specialist advice.

Where student records or accommodations are involved, use only the process your school permits and complete any required professional review.

• 20. Support-in-practice prompt: “Using this approved support language or summary from my school records process: [paste only if permitted], suggest what this could look like during a 45-minute [subject] lesson. Focus on directions, timing, grouping, materials, and response options. Do not override the formal plan. Flag anything that requires case-manager or school review.”
• 21. Embedded-support activity ideas: “Suggest 3 ways to build this learning support goal into a regular [grade level] [subject] lesson on [topic]. Keep the student in the core lesson rather than creating unrelated side work. Separate ideas into ‘whole-class,’ ‘small-group,’ and ‘independent’ options. Note what I should verify with the student’s official plan.”
• 22. Conference talking points: “Help me organize my notes into a short conference outline with strengths first, current focus areas, specific classroom examples, and possible next-step questions. Use only the information I provide. Do not add interpretation, diagnosis, or predictions. [Paste notes only if permitted by school process]”

23–25: Classroom culture prompts

These prompts can help generate variety for routines and community-building without overcomplicating preparation.

• 23. Morning meeting openers: “Give me 10 morning-meeting greeting ideas for [grade level]. Include a mix of verbal, movement-based, and low-pressure participation formats. Keep each one brief and suitable for a standard classroom. Add one sentence on what classroom habit each greeting supports.”
• 24. Team-building activities: “Suggest 6 short team-building activities for a class of [number] students in [grade level]. Each should take 5–10 minutes, require ordinary classroom materials only, and include a short debrief question. Avoid activities that require personal disclosure beyond what is appropriate for school.”
• 25. Class agreement draft: “Draft a one-page class agreement for [grade level] using positive, student-friendly language. Include 4–6 expectations, what students can expect from the teacher, and spaces for the class to revise or add ideas together. Mark this as a draft for co-creation, not a final contract.”

A simple review routine before you use any output

A quick review routine can make prompt use more reliable. First, check facts and examples. Second, check whether the level and wording fit your students. Third, check whether anything sensitive appears, especially around student information, accommodations, health, safeguarding, or assessment. Fourth, revise for your actual materials, timing, and classroom norms.

If you want stronger drafts, ask the model to critique its own response before you accept it. For example: “List three weaknesses in this draft and revise them without adding new facts.” Even then, the teacher still needs to make the final call.

• Check: Is the content accurate enough to teach?
• Check: Does it match your learning goal and prior knowledge?
• Check: Did the model invent resources, standards, or examples?
• Check: Does school policy require a different process for this task?

Use prompts as planning support, not as autopilot

A strong teacher prompt does two things at once: it tells the model what classroom context matters, and it sets limits on what the model should not guess. That makes the response easier to trust, edit, and use responsibly.

These 25 prompts cover common teaching tasks, but the most important habit is the review step. AI can help draft, sort, and structure. Teachers still decide what is accurate, appropriate, and ready for students.

Sources and further reading

• How educators can get started with ChatGPT
• Using Study Mode in ChatGPT
• Teaching with AI