Ana Sepúlveda, a math teacher in Dallas, wanted to make geometry exciting for her 6th grade honors class. Knowing her students are passionate about soccer, she decided to connect the subject to the sport. To help, she turned to ChatGPT.
Within seconds, the AI provided a detailed five-page lesson plan, complete with a theme: “Geometry is everywhere in soccer — on the field, in the ball, and even in stadium designs!” The plan explained how shapes and angles are used in the game, suggested discussion questions like “Why are these shapes important to soccer?” and proposed a project for students to create their own soccer field or stadium using rulers and protractors.
“AI has completely changed the way I work,” said Sepúlveda, who teaches at a bilingual school and uses ChatGPT to translate materials into Spanish. “It’s helping me plan lessons, communicate with parents, and keep students more engaged.”
Teachers nationwide are increasingly using AI tools to create quizzes, lesson plans, worksheets, assist with grading, and reduce administrative work. Many say this technology allows them to focus more on teaching.
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A Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey released Wednesday found that 6 in 10 K-12 public school teachers in the U.S. used AI tools during the last academic year. The survey, conducted in April with over 2,000 teachers, showed AI use is most common among high school educators and those early in their careers.
According to Gallup research consultant Andrea Malek Ash, teachers who use AI weekly reported saving an average of six hours per week, suggesting AI could help reduce teacher burnout.
States are issuing guidelines for using AI tools in classrooms
As concerns grow over students misusing AI tools, many schools are introducing guidelines and providing training to ensure teachers use the technology responsibly and avoid shortcuts that could negatively impact student learning.
Currently, around two dozen U.S. states have issued AI-related guidance for schools, but how consistently these rules are applied across classrooms varies, according to Maya Israel, an associate professor of educational technology and computer science education at the University of Florida.
“We need to make sure AI doesn’t replace a teacher’s professional judgment,” Israel emphasized. She added that while AI can be useful for basic tasks like grading multiple-choice tests, it struggles with more complex assessments requiring nuance. Students should also have a way to report unfair or inaccurate grading, with the final grading decision left to the teacher.
AI tools are already saving time for many educators. Roughly 8 in 10 teachers who use AI say it helps reduce workload by assisting with tasks such as creating worksheets, quizzes, or handling administrative duties. About 6 in 10 report that AI has improved the quality of their work, particularly in adapting materials for students or providing feedback.
Mary McCarthy, a high school social studies teacher near Houston, said AI has transformed her teaching and improved her work-life balance by easing lesson planning and other tasks. Training provided by her school district has also helped her demonstrate responsible AI use to students.
“If all we say is ‘AI is bad, and kids will get lazy,’ then of course that’s what will happen if we don’t guide them,” McCarthy said. “As the adult in the room, I see it as my duty to help them learn how to use this tool responsibly.”
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Teachers say the technology is best used sparingly
Since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, opinions on the use of artificial intelligence in education have changed significantly. Many schools initially banned the technology, but over time, educators have begun exploring ways to integrate it into classrooms. Despite this shift, concerns remain. According to a recent study, nearly half of teachers worry that students' reliance on AI could harm their ability to think critically, work independently, or persevere through problem-solving tasks.
However, teachers also believe that understanding AI better helps them recognize when students overuse it. Colorado high school English teacher Darren Barkett, for example, says AI-generated assignments often lack grammatical errors and contain unusually complex language—both signs that a chatbot was involved. Barkett himself uses ChatGPT for lesson planning and grading multiple-choice tests and essays.
In suburban Chicago, middle school art teacher Lindsay Johnson uses only AI tools approved by her school to ensure student privacy. She introduces AI technology later in the creative process so students can build confidence in their own abilities first.
For her eighth graders' final project, Johnson asked students to draw a portrait of someone influential in their lives. After they finished the facial details, she offered them the option to use generative AI for designing the background. She relied on an AI feature in Canva, a design platform vetted by her school district's IT team for safety and privacy.
“My goal as an art teacher is to show students the range of tools available and help them understand how to use those tools properly,” Johnson said. Interestingly, some students declined the AI assistance. “About half the class said, ‘I already have a vision, and I want to complete it myself,’” she added.