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May 7, 2025

K-12: Mastering Your Prompts

# K-12 Education

# Foundational AI Literacy

Strategies for getting better results in ChatGPT

Kirk Gulezian

Six strategies for getting better results in ChatGPT

Asking the right question is just like giving clear directions to a student. The clearer you are, the more helpful the response. That’s what we call “prompting.” This blog will show you how to ask great questions, so you can save time and get more useful answers from ChatGPT.

1. Write clear instructions

The clearer your instructions, the better ChatGPT can help. If a response is too long, ask for a shorter version. If it feels too basic, ask for a more detailed or expert-level explanation. If the format isn’t right, show an example of what you’re looking for.

2. Provide reference text

If you want ChatGPT to respond in a specific voice or style, try providing a sample—like a paragraph you’ve written or an excerpt from something you like—and say “match this tone.” This helps ChatGPT mirror the tone, structure, and phrasing more accurately in its reply.

3. Split complex tasks into simpler subtasks

Complex tasks tend to have higher error rates than simpler tasks. If a task feels too complicated, try splitting it into smaller, easier steps. ChatGPT is more accurate when it can focus on one part of the job at a time.

4. Give the model time to "think"

If asked to multiply 17 by 28, you might not know it instantly, but can still work it out with time. ChatGPT can give better answers when it’s allowed to think step-by-step. If you’re asking a complex question—especially one that involves reasoning or multiple parts—try asking it to explain its thinking first. This helps ChatGPT slow down and be more accurate.

5. Upload external materials

You can upload or paste in your existing materials—like lesson plans, student handouts, meeting notes, or newsletters—and ChatGPT will use them to give better, more tailored responses.

You’ve already done the hard work. ChatGPT can help you build on it with summaries, new ideas, or edits that fit your goals.

6. Test prompts with a broader sample

If you’re fine-tuning a prompt—for example, to give better feedback or generate lesson content—try testing it with a few different inputs. A prompt might work well for one question or task, but not for others.

Elevating Your Prompts: From “Okay” to “Great”

Example 1: Requesting lesson plan ideas

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Give me some ideas for a history lesson."

→ Why it's just okay: The prompt is vague, with no clear direction or focus, which may lead to a generic response.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Give me ideas for a history lesson on World War II for a high school class. Focus on interactive activities that engage students and reinforce key concepts."

→ Why it's good: This prompt is more specific and includes context (World War II) and a defined audience (high school students), leading to more relevant and engaging lesson ideas.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Create a lesson plan for a high school history class on World War II. Include an engaging activity, discussion questions, and suggestions for multimedia resources. Tailor the content for students with a basic understanding of 20th-century history."

→ Why it's great: The prompt is highly specific, structured, and tailored to the audience, ensuring a comprehensive and relevant response.

Example 2: Summarizing a news article or lesson resource

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Summarize this article."

→ Why it's just okay: The request is vague, so ChatGPT might give a summary that’s too general or not tailored to your students’ needs.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Summarize this article about recycling for a 6th grade class."

→ Why it's good: It includes the topic and audience, which helps ChatGPT keep the language age-appropriate and relevant to the classroom.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Summarize the main ideas from this article about recycling. Focus on what middle school students should understand, include three key facts, and keep the tone engaging and clear for a 6th grade science class."

→ Why it's great: This prompt is detailed, specifies the audience and subject, and gives clear instructions on tone and content. That leads to a summary that’s focused, age-appropriate, and ready to use in the classroom.

Example 3: Quiz creation

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Make a quiz on fractions.

→ Why it's just okay: It’s too vague. ChatGPT might create questions that are too easy, too hard, or not aligned with what you’re teaching.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Create a 5-question quiz on adding and subtracting fractions for 5th grade students."

→ Why it's good: This prompt includes the topic, grade level, and number of questions, helping ChatGPT generate a more targeted and level-appropriate assessment.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Create a 5-question multiple choice quiz on adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators for 5th grade. Include an answer key, and make sure at least one question includes a word problem. Align the questions to common core math standards for grade 5."

→ Why it's great: This prompt is specific about the skill, format, grade level, and standards. It ensures the output is accurate, aligned, and ready to use in the classroom.

Example 4: Creating a staff meeting agenda

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Create an agenda for next week’s staff meeting."

→ Why it's just okay: It doesn’t include any context or priorities, so the agenda might be generic or miss key school needs.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Create an agenda for our weekly school staff meeting that includes updates on attendance trends, upcoming events, and reminders about progress reports."

→ Why it's good: It includes specific topics, helping ChatGPT create a more organized and relevant meeting outline.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Prepare a structured agenda for our weekly K–8 staff meeting. Include 10 minutes for reviewing attendance and behavior trends, 15 minutes for planning next month’s family engagement night, 10 minutes to review progress report timelines, and 5 minutes for open staff questions. Format it to support efficient discussion and clear action items."

→ Why it's great: This prompt outlines the audience, topics, time allocations, and meeting goals—making the output tailored, useful, and easy to run with.

Example 5: Writing a school administrative report

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Write a quarterly report."

→ Why it's just okay: It’s too vague—ChatGPT won’t know what to focus on, who the report is for, or what decisions it should support.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Write a quarterly report for school leadership that includes key updates on attendance, staffing, and school-wide initiatives.”

→ Why it's good: It gives a clear purpose and outlines specific focus areas, making the response more useful and relevant to a school setting.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Prepare a detailed quarterly administrative report for the district office that includes updates on attendance trends, staffing changes, school-wide programs (e.g., SEL or MTSS), budget highlights, and areas needing support. Include data visuals where possible, and organize the report using bullet points and section headers for easy review. End with recommended next steps for the school leadership team.”

→ Why it's great: This prompt includes the audience, content structure, formatting, and action focus—making the output aligned with K–12 reporting expectations and easy to share.

Example 6: Preparing for a parent-teacher conference

🔴 Okay Prompt: "Help me get ready for a parent-teacher conference."

→ Why it's just okay: It’s unclear what grade, student, or goals the teacher has—ChatGPT might offer generic suggestions that aren’t specific or actionable.

🟡 Good Prompt: "Help me prepare for a parent-teacher conference for a 3rd grade student who’s struggling with reading and focus in class.”

→ Why it's good: It gives grade level, context, and specific concerns—allowing ChatGPT to offer relevant talking points and strategies.

🟢 Great Prompt: "Help me prepare for a parent-teacher conference with the guardian of a 3rd grade student named [Insert Name] who is below reading level and often struggles to stay focused during independent work. I’d like to share academic progress, discuss specific classroom examples, offer positive feedback, and suggest at-home strategies that are supportive but not overwhelming. Use the notes I'll provide below on their performance, and organize your response into key talking points I can use during the meeting.”

→ Why it's great: This prompt is specific about the student, challenges, tone, structure, and goals, and includes notes that the teacher has taken on the student. It leads to a well-balanced, compassionate, and actionable plan for the conference.

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