How Can ChatGPT Help School Administrators?

 

As a teacher, stealing is the best policy! As a teacher, you know what I mean. So many teachers offer free materials, ideas, and strategies on blogs and websites. One of my favorites as an algebra teacher is Math = Love.

As an administrator, work products are not as easily shared. Most likely, it is because many administrators work for districts that create their own materials. Administrators are often provided with rules, policies, letters, etc.

Working in an independent school, those are not readily available or may need to be updated. 

Since this was my school's accreditation year, I had a lot of items to gather as evidence. I adapted another school's policy manual (stealing with permission) to my school's needs. I found many things we lacked that would be important if I were to leave. I know what I do, but can the next person in my position have access to it.

So I began working on things that I felt were needed. One was letters in case a staff person died, a student died, or a significant event occurred on campus. I used ChaptGPT to help create those letters and then adapted them. I am a math teacher... writing is only sometimes my best subject. I can talk... lol... but composing takes a little more effort. But AI has helped make those tasks more manageable. Those letters are in the policy manual, so if these events occur, that is the last thing I must consider!

Here are ways ChatGPT answered the prompt: What tasks can ChatGPT help principals complete? I think they are definitely things I will explore. I am wondering if it will create a bell schedule for secondary!?

Directly quoted from ChatGPT:

1. Writing and Editing: You can use ChatGPT to help you with writing and editing tasks such as crafting announcements, composing newsletters, creating reports, or reviewing documents. Simply provide prompts or describe the content you need, and ChatGPT can generate text based on your input.

2. Planning and Organization: ChatGPT can help you with planning and organizing tasks. You can use it to create schedules, outline lesson plans, or develop strategies for school improvement. ChatGPT can also help you manage tasks and deadlines by providing reminders or creating to-do lists.

3. Communication and Correspondence: ChatGPT can assist you with communication and correspondence tasks. You can use it to draft emails, compose letters, or prepare speeches. ChatGPT can also help you generate responses to frequently asked questions or provide information about school policies or procedures.

4. Problem Solving: ChatGPT can aid you in problem-solving tasks. You can describe an issue or challenge you're facing, and ChatGPT can generate suggestions or solutions based on its knowledge and language capabilities. It can also help you brainstorm ideas for school projects or initiatives.

5. Professional Development: ChatGPT can support your professional development as a school principal. You can use it to access information about best practices in education, research educational resources, or gather data for decision-making. ChatGPT can also provide insights on leadership strategies or offer recommendations for professional growth opportunities.

Using ChapGPT for the Classroom- Lesson Creation

I have been using the free version of ChapGPT since I came across it a few months ago for exploring various prompts, requests, and activities to help with my job as an administrator. It is pretty handy for writing letters and emails or other forms of communication. I feel I am only scratching the surface of the capabilities as I read articles about the program. It is quite fascinating!

Recently, I saw an educator on Facebook asking ChatGPT to write a lesson plan. I was amazed at how limiting I was to the program!

Most of the beginning articles about ChapGPT and education explored how much cheating can be done with AI. This is true. (However, my college son recently told me that two students in one of his classes were caught using the program because AI detectors work pretty efficiently. So teachers are on it!)

One afternoon, I wanted a character education lesson for my secondary teachers to use in a newly formed advisory class. We are using the Fruit of the Spirit for character education words. I asked ChapGPT for a lesson plan on character education for middle school. I adapted it to include the Fruit of the Spirit and made some engagement changes to reflect the foundation of AVID's WICOR , with the addition of Bible (WICORB). I adjusted the collaboration and writing aspects that ChatGPT excluded. To add the inquiry portion, I asked ChapGPT to write reflection questions and added those to the lesson.

I am sure ChapGPT could have added those activities if I had asked, but I adjusted based on my teaching style.

Then, with a newly learned skill of bulk add to Canva , I made a slide deck using the character education reflection questions for my teachers to use in class.

This entire process, with editing, took about one hour. Using Canva and making the slide deck was a little more complex, but it certainly wasn't a complicated process. This lesson was provided to each of my teachers (12 total) so the entire secondary program would have the same lesson. It was at least 3-5 days of teaching material, depending on the length of discussion and collaboration.

In addition, I listed all the products on my Teachers Pay Teachers site for a possible income stream for my time.

How have you used ChatGPT to make your life as a teacher easier?

Rebekah