AI for Professional Practice

Using AI Responsibly to Save Time and Support Professional Practice

Overview

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be valuable assistants for teachers and education staff when used thoughtfully and responsibly. This page focuses on professional, staff-only uses of AI—helping you save time, reduce repetitive work, and support high-quality teaching and communication.

This guidance applies to adult professional use, not to student assignments or classroom activities.

What AI Can Be Used For by Staff

AI tools may be used by teachers and education staff as productivity and drafting supports, similar to spell checkers, templates, or planning tools.

✅ Planning & Preparation

AI can help you:

Brainstorm lesson ideas or unit outlines
Draft learning objectives or essential questions
Generate example activities or discussion prompts
Suggest differentiation strategies or extensions

AI should be used as a starting point, not a replacement for professional judgment or curriculum expertise.

✅ Drafting & Writing Support

AI can assist with:

Drafting emails to parents or caregivers
Creating newsletters, announcements, or agendas
Rewriting text to improve clarity, tone, or conciseness
Generating first drafts of rubrics, checklists, or feedback comments

All AI-generated drafts should be reviewed, edited, and finalized by the staff member before use.

✅ Organizing & Summarizing

AI may help you:

Summarize meeting notes or professional readings
Turn rough notes into organized bullet points
Create to-do lists or action steps from longer text
Reformat content (e.g., paragraph → checklist)

What AI Should Not Be Used For

To protect students, staff, and the school community, AI tools must not be used for tasks involving sensitive or confidential information.

❌ Do NOT Use AI For:

Entering student names, IDs, or identifiable information
Uploading student work, IEPs, evaluations, or behavior records
Handling confidential staff records or HR documentation
Making disciplinary, grading, or evaluative decisions
Storing or analyzing protected data in external AI systems

If the information would normally be kept private, secure, or restricted, it should not be entered into an AI tool.

When in doubt: generalize, anonymize, or do not use AI.

How This Differs from Student AI Expectations

It is important to distinguish between professional staff use of AI and student use of AI for learning.

Staff Use of AI	Student Use of AI
Used as a productivity and drafting tool	Used as part of a guided learning process
Supports planning, communication, and organization	Subject to assignment-specific rules
Does not replace professional responsibility	Often requires documentation or disclosure
Focuses on efficiency	Focuses on learning and skill development

Teachers are encouraged to model ethical, transparent, and responsible use, while recognizing that student AI use is governed by separate classroom and assessment expectations.

Quick Decision Guide

"Is This an Appropriate Use of AI?"

✔ Ask Yourself:

Does this involve student or staff confidential data?
If yes → Do not use AI
Is AI being used to assist, not replace, my professional judgment?
If no → Reconsider the task
Would I be comfortable explaining this use to a colleague or administrator?
If no → Do not proceed
Am I reviewing and editing the output before using it?
If yes → Likely appropriate

✅ Generally Appropriate

Drafting a lesson outline
Rewriting an email for tone
Summarizing notes
Creating generic examples or templates

🚫 Not Appropriate

Uploading identifiable student work
Analyzing confidential records
Automating grading or discipline decisions
Copying AI output directly without review

Key Takeaway

AI can be a powerful time-saving assistant when used responsibly. It should support—not replace—your professional expertise, judgment, and ethical obligations.

When used thoughtfully, AI helps teachers spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time on students and teaching.