As AI becomes more and more a part of everyday life, it’s inevitable that substitute teachers will need to become familiar with the technology. The more substitute teachers get to know generative AI such as ChatGPT, the more they will be able to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape of today’s classroom.
Regular classroom teachers have their own list of possible uses for AI, which might include help with lesson planning, grading, tracking student achievement, and planning projects. Generative AI can be helpful for a substitute teacher too, but in different ways. While they generally don’t need to plan long-term projects, there is often a need for substitutes to find activities or classroom materials on short notice.
Here are five ways a substitute teacher might use generative AI:
- Icebreakers: Who doesn’t need a good icebreaker? ChatGPT or one of the other generative AI tools can provide substitute teachers with lots of ideas to get the morning going. Type “Good icebreakers for substitute teachers” into ChatGPT and it will provide more than 10 fun ideas subs can use to help them get to know their students.
- Emergency lesson plans: If the classroom teacher left a lesson plan, or even a general list of things to work on in their absence, those will obviously be the substitute’s first priority. But what if the teacher’s absence was an emergency, and they didn’t have time to prepare anything? AI can quickly generate a lesson plan on a topic that the substitute isn’t familiar with, helping build confidence that they can lead a lesson tailored to the grade level and subject. For example, typing Middle School Lesson Plan on Photosynthesis into ChatGPT generates a list of activities, instructions, ideas for lab experiments, examples for interactive learning, a quiz, and links to websites and videos.
- Age-appropriate activities: Substitute teachers who normally work with elementary students might feel completely confident in a third-grade class, but much less confident if they find themselves teaching 12th grade biology. AI can generate age-appropriate downtime ideas, icebreakers, or lesson ideas for substitutes who are suddenly outside their comfort zone.
- Starting points for a discussion: If the substitute knows the general topic the students have been studying, but not many specifics about it, the sub can use generative AI to provide a list of questions to facilitate a lengthy discussion on the topic.
- Quick quizzes: If the classroom teacher left no lesson plan, the substitute teacher may be looking for a full day’s worth of activities. After using AI to generate discussion topics and activities, the sub can use the technology to generate a pop quiz to give at the end of a lesson.
Substitute teachers are always looking for ways to bring meaningful learning to the classroom. Using generative AI can help substitutes offer purposeful teaching to all age groups on a variety of subjects.
