Teachers Save 6 Hours Weekly With AI Tools

Coin WorldWednesday, Jun 25, 2025 6:46 am ET
2min read

Teachers across the United States are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence tools to streamline their workloads, with many reporting significant time savings. Math teacher Ana Sepúlveda, for instance, used ChatGPT to create a comprehensive lesson plan on geometry and soccer, which not only saved her time but also enhanced student engagement. The chatbot provided a detailed five-page plan, complete with classroom conversation starters and a project idea for students to design their own soccer field or stadium.

Sepúlveda, who teaches at a dual language school in Dallas, found that using AI has been transformative. It has aided her in lesson planning, communicating with parents, and increasing student engagement. She also uses ChatGPT to translate materials into Spanish, further enhancing her teaching efficiency.

The use of AI tools in education is not limited to Sepúlveda. A poll released recently found that 6 in 10 teachers in K-12 public schools used AI tools for their work over the past school year. High school educators and early-career teachers reported heavier use of these tools. Respondents who use AI tools weekly estimate that they save about six hours a week, which could help alleviate teacher burnout.

Ask Aime: How AI helped teachers save time?

As schools navigate concerns over student abuse of the technology, some are introducing guidelines and training for educators. About two dozen states have state-level AI guidance for schools, but the extent to which it is applied by schools and teachers is uneven. Experts emphasize the importance of ensuring that AI does not replace the judgment of a teacher, especially when it comes to grading. Chatbots are effective for low-level grading like multiple-choice tests but less so when nuance is required. There should be a way for students to alert teachers if the grading is too harsh or inconsistent, and the final grading decision needs to remain with the educator.

About 8 in 10 teachers who use AI tools say it saves them time on work tasks like making worksheets, assessments, quizzes, or on administrative work. And about 6 in 10 teachers who use AI tools said they are improving the quality of their work when it comes to modifying student materials or giving student feedback. Mary McCarthy, a high school social studies teacher in the Houston area, noted that AI has transformed her teaching and given her a better work-life balance. She also highlighted the importance of training students on the proper use of AI tools.

Teachers are also becoming more familiar with AI to spot when students are overusing it. Clues that assignments are written by AI tools include an absence of grammatical errors and complex phrases in writing. Colorado high school English teacher Darren Barkett uses ChatGPT to create lesson plans and grade multiple-choice tests and essays. In suburban Chicago, middle school art teacher Lindsay Johnson uses only AI programs vetted by her school for data privacy and other concerns. She introduces the technology only for later stages of projects to ensure students feel confident in their skills.

Johnson's approach to AI in her art class is to let students know the different tools available and teach them how those tools work. Some students were not interested in the AI assistance, preferring to stick with their own vision. This balanced approach ensures that students are not overly reliant on AI while still benefiting from the technology's capabilities.