Reclaim Your Sanity and Your Time: 5 Lessons on Using AI as a Teacher’s Productivity Tool
Every teacher knows the feeling of being stretched too thin — balancing lesson plans, grading, emails and everything else.
At the 2024 Making Schools Work Conference, Mariah Warren, the lead professional development coordinator at the K20 Center at the University of Oklahoma, delivered a masterclass in how AI can help educators reclaim their time and sanity.
Warren brought real-world insights and a touch of humor to a topic that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Here are five lessons (and a few laughs) I took away from her session.
Lesson 1: AI is Your Assistant, Not Your Replacement
Warren opened with a perspective that set the tone for the session.
“AI isn’t here to take your job; it’s here to help you do your job better.”
While we often hear about the dangers of AI, her approach was refreshingly pragmatic.
One example? She shared how tools like Magic School AI can draft emails in seconds.
“Sometimes I get emails that make me mad,” she said. “You know the rule about not responding when you’re angry? I’m terrible at it. So, I let AI write the first draft. It tones things down for me — saves me from myself!”
But it’s not just about calming your inner Hulk. AI can handle countless time-consuming tasks:
- Reformatting lesson plans,
- Creating differentiated worksheets and
- Generating student feedback.
While you may need to be careful with how and when you use these features, as some of the later lessons will emphasize, using AI to help with some of these tasks can save you time, or, as Warren put it, “Let AI take care of the grunt work, so you can focus on what really matters —supporting your students.”
Lesson 2: To Get the Most From the Tools You Use, Try to Find Tools Built by Teachers, For Teachers
Using a one-size-fits-all tech tool in your classroom doesn’t always work. That’s why Warren highlighted tools like Magic School AI, which was designed by educators to meet the unique needs of teachers.
“Magic School AI gets us because it was created by people who’ve stood in front of a class, written endless IEPs and begged for a faster way to draft a recommendation letter,” Warren said.
Magic School AI even tries to be FERPA-compliant by removing student names and sensitive information when you accidentally include them.
“It’s not perfect,” she admitted, “but it’s a big step forward in keeping student data safe.”
Other tools like Diffit simplify sub plans by generating instant worksheets, comprehension questions, and activities from any topic, article or video you provide. Imagine waking up sick, pulling up Diffit, and emailing your sub plans in minutes.
“Seriously,” Warren joked, “these tools might just save your sick days.”
While we are not recommending any one set of AI tools, looking into the ones that are designed for teachers can save you even more time because they are already designed to be set up for your specific needs.
Lesson 3: The 80/20 Rule: Let AI Do the Boring Stuff
While AI cannot and should not do all of your work for you, it can save you time by doing the most tedious tasks. To give you an idea of what this means, Warren introduced the 80/20 rule as her secret weapon.
“Let AI handle the repetitive 80% of your work so you can focus on the meaningful 20%,” she said.
Take assignments, for example. Instead of sticking with basic recall tasks, AI can help reframe questions to encourage critical thinking. Warren demonstrated this with a 9th-grade biology assignment. Instead of simply labeling cell parts, AI helped her create this prompt: “Analyze the functions of various cell components and explain how they work together to support cellular processes.”
“This is higher-order thinking,” she explained, “and — bonus — it’s harder for students to cheat with AI. If they can answer this, they’re learning, not just regurgitating.”
It’s not just about assignments. AI can also generate differentiated materials, like rewriting a text at a lower reading level for struggling students or at a higher level to challenge advanced learners. The best part? You don’t need a Ph.D. in tech to make it happen.
Lesson 4: Stay Ahead of the AI Curve
AI is evolving rapidly, but so are the rules around its use. Warren stressed the importance of understanding and following your school’s AI policies. Understanding AI and what is allowed in your school can help you save time by not getting flagged for violating the policy later on.
Warren asked the people in her overflowing session to raise their hand if they knew their school’s guidelines on AI. Only a few hands went up. For those flying without a policy, she shared a proactive solution.
“One teacher on TikTok added this to her syllabus: ‘Every assignment is subject to an oral follow-up,’” she said. “’If you can explain your work, you pass. If not, we’ll talk.’”
Warren also addressed bias in AI.
“AI learns from the internet,” she explained, “so it’s going to reflect societal biases. But you can teach it what you want. For example, you can prompt it to use gender-neutral language or write from a specific perspective.”
Another pro tip: always double-check AI’s output.
“I once asked AI to draft an email, but I gave it a bad prompt. The email came back completely wrong,” she said with a laugh. “Lesson learned: garbage in, garbage out.”
Understanding how AI works and where its problems are can save you time by helping you avoid the problems and use the tools most effectively. Lesson 5: Teachers Gotta Play Too!
Warren’s final — and perhaps most important — lesson was this: you need to play with AI before you teach it.
“Teachers won’t use something unless they’ve had time to experiment with it,” she said.
To help educators get hands-on experience, she created a bingo card with tasks like drafting an email, generating an assignment or exploring AI-resistant activities.
“It’s fun, and it gets you thinking about how to actually use these tools in your classroom.”
Her advice? Start small.
“Pick one tool, like Magic School AI or Diffit, and try it out. Write a letter of recommendation or create a rubric. You’ll see how much time you save — and once you do, you’ll never go back.”
The Future Is Bright (and a Little AI-Assisted)
Warren’s talk was a reminder that AI isn’t something to fear. It’s something to embrace, cautiously and creatively. Whether you’re drafting emails, designing lessons or differentiating materials, there’s an AI tool to make your life easier.
“AI is just a tool,” Warren said. “Like any tool, it’s only as good as the person using it. If we use it thoughtfully, it can help us focus on what we do best—supporting students.”
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead — play, explore and let AI take some of the weight off your shoulders. Your students (and your sanity) will thank you.
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