Prompting · Practical guide
AI Prompts for Teachers: Six Practical Templates
A useful teaching prompt names the task, learner level, source material, constraints and output format. These six templates are starting points, not automatic approvals of the resulting teaching material.
1. Explain a difficult concept
Prompt: “Explain [concept] to [learner level] using [approved source text]. Give a plain-language explanation, one analogy and the point at which that analogy stops working. Finish with a question that checks understanding.”
For networking, an analogy may help introduce packet delivery, but it should not imply that every network guarantees arrival. Ask learners to explain the limitation in their own words.
2. Plan an active lesson
Prompt: “Create a [duration]-minute lesson for [outcome]. Learners already know [prerequisites]. Use [available resources]. Provide a timed sequence, learner activities and evidence of learning. Mark assumptions for teacher review.”
Example: for a 20-minute revision lesson, a draft could allocate 3 minutes to retrieval, 5 to modelling, 8 to guided practice and 4 to an exit task. Check that the times add up and the activities fit.
3. Draft practice questions
Prompt: “Using only [approved material], draft three practice questions at increasing difficulty. For each, give the correct answer, explanation and a common wrong answer with its misconception. Do not invent facts absent from the material.”
Solve each question independently. If a multiple-choice item has two defensible answers, rewrite its scenario and assumptions before using it. Keep protected examination material out of unapproved services.
4. Give formative feedback
Prompt: “Compare this anonymised practice response with [criteria]. Identify one strength, one gap and one next step. Quote the relevant part of the response. Do not assign a final grade or infer the learner’s ability.”
Sample feedback pattern: “You identified the file owner correctly. Your explanation omits group permissions. Next, label each group of three bits before deciding who can read.” Use this as an illustrative format, not an actual student assessment.
5. Draft a rubric
Prompt: “Create a three-level rubric for [task] using these outcomes: [outcomes]. Include observable criteria and distinguish levels through evidence rather than words like excellent or poor. Return a table.”
Test the rubric against two invented responses. If both receive the same descriptor despite a meaningful difference, refine the criteria. Confirm that marks and weighting match the assessment brief.
6. Adapt language without losing meaning
Prompt: “Rewrite [approved text] for [reading level]. Preserve technical terms and define them briefly. Do not remove qualifications, units or safety instructions. List substantive changes for review.”
Compare the rewrite with the original line by line. Clearer language must not silently change a technical definition. Offer text alternatives to essential visuals and check that headings remain descriptive.
Improve one template
Choose a template, run it on non-sensitive material and identify one weak part of the result. Add the missing constraint, rerun it and compare both outputs against your teaching objective. Save the version that works, alongside notes about its limits.
Reusable prompt
Select and copy this template, or customise your own using the free builder.
Task: [what you need]. Learners: [level and prerequisites]. Approved material: [non-sensitive source text]. Constraints: [duration, difficulty and exclusions]. Output: [table, questions or explanation]. Review: state assumptions, flag unsupported claims and identify what I must verify.Open the prompt builder →
Pause · Think · Check
Test your understanding
Choose one answer per question, then check your reasoning. This is practice; scores are not saved.