How to make ChatGPT work for you: 5 prompt-writing hacks for teachers

Before typing anything, ask yourself: “What do I want my students to learn?”
This is your starting point. Instead of saying:

“Give me a grammar activity.”
Say something like:
“Create a fun 20-minute activity to teach B1-level students how to use the past simple tense in conversation.”

The more precise your goal, the better the output. ChatGPT loves clarity. Give it a strong starting point, and it will return a solid, usable idea. But that’s only the beginning.

Would you give the same worksheet to a 10-year-old beginner and a 17-year-old upper-intermediate student?
Of course not. And neither should ChatGPT. But it can’t read your mind.

When writing your prompt, always include:

• Age group (e.g. 15-year-olds, high school seniors)
• Language level (e.g. A2, B1, C1)

This small detail makes a huge difference in tone, vocabulary, and activity design.

ChatGPT is a great content creator, but only if you tell it what to create. Do you want:

A worksheet, a quiz, a short story, a dialogue, a project-based task…?

Be clear about the format you’re looking for. If you just say “Give me an idea,” you might get a paragraph of general advice instead of something ready-to-use in class.

What’s happening in your class right now? Is it revision week? Are you preparing students for an exam? Is this activity for the start of a lesson or the end? ChatGPT can adjust its answers depending on the context, but only if you give it some. Example:

“Create a warm-up activity for a Monday morning class of sleepy teenagers.”

Do you want the task to be fun and playful, or academic and serious?
Should it be lighthearted to boost motivation, or formal to match exam conditions?
ChatGPT can adapt its voice—but you need to hand it the right “hat.”

Try adding: “Make it funny and engaging.” Or “Use formal academic language, appropriate for university students.”

Tone brings your materials to life—and ChatGPT can absolutely get it right.

Before you hit “enter,” run through this quick list:

• What’s the goal of the task?
• Who’s it for (age & level)?
• What format do I want?
• What’s the context?
• What tone should it have?

If you want ChatGPT to be even more specific, and to provide a truly personalized, tailor-made result, tell it to ask you questions in order to fully understand your requirements and to cover all the details you forgot to mention. And then, watch it do its magic. 

Writing better prompts isn’t about mastering AI, it’s about being a thoughtful, intentional teacher. Once you learn how to give ChatGPT the right input, you’ll get exactly the kind of support you need: fast, practical, and tailored to your classroom.

Try these 5 hacks today and see the difference. Your lessons, and your planning time, will thank you.

Want more tips like this?
Follow us on Instagram at @erasmus.courses for weekly ideas, real teacher stories, and AI-powered support for your classroom.

JOIN US: 

Or join our teacher training courses, where we explore the best AI tools that will make your job, and life – so much easier. At Platform21 we’ll help you “Become the teacher you wish you had.”

Write to us: info@erasmus.courses