Teach-Primary-Issue-20.1

www.teachwire.net | 39 S T EM S P E C I A L pupils total. Lesson is 45 minutes before lunch. They respond well to visuals and worked examples. My draft: [paste your skeleton] Improve this by adding modelling questions, refining examples, checking misconceptions, and providing three ways to differentiate without additional worksheets.” Bad prompt: “Make this worksheet easier.” Good prompt: “Simplify this worksheet for a Year 6 student with working memory difficulties. Keep the objective the same but reduce cognitive load by shortening sentences, increasing white space, using visuals, reducing steps, and providing a model answer for the first question.” Bad prompt: “Write feedback for this.” Good prompt: “Write formative feedback for this Year 4 writing piece. Focus on sentence structure, punctuation, and development of ideas. Use warm, encouraging language and give one target and one next step.” The human touch AI is brilliant when used wisely. It can tidy, draft, clarify, summarise, or polish. It might even save your sanity during a busy week. But only you know when a Year 1 has reached their emotional limit, when a Year 3 is just warming up, or when the class needs humour, visuals, scaffolding, or calm. Teaching thrives in unpredictable moments, spontaneous discussions, laughter, connections, and sparks of curiosity. No prompt can replicate those. Every great lesson is a blend of structure and instinct, and that balance will always be down to you. TP Bad prompt: “Plan a fun Year 5 lesson on fractions.” This is too vague; there’s no context. Better prompt: “Create a 45-minute Year 5 maths lesson introducing unit fractions. Include a practical starter, clear modelling, one scaffolded task, one stretch task, and language suitable for mixed-ability learners. Do not include tasks requiring cutting or gluing.” Excellent prompt: “Here is my draft lesson outline for a mixed-ability Year 5 class. Context: Three pupils with SEND working at Year 3 level. One EAL learner new to English with basic sentence comprehension. Twenty-eight EXTRA TOOLS For a little more support when using AI and creating resources, try out these ideas: Canva Design School: this is a brilliant resource within Canva that guides building engaging educational designs and visual learning materials. It helps teachers create accessible, attractive resources without hours of reinvention. CPD: AI-focused courses can significantly enhance your ability to integrate technology effectively. They help you understand the tool beyond a quick prompt, ensuring purposeful, ethical, and confident usage. Check with your SLT or search online for available courses. Collaboration with colleagues: often, a human resource is the best option. Sharing prompts, ideas, pitfalls, and successful strategies with peers reduces trial and error, and increases confidence. You might even find that another teacher has already found the shortcut you’ve been searching for. Anna Fannon is an experienced PE teacher and head of year, now focused on championing staff wellbeing and smarter workload solutions.