The perfect ChatGPT prompt does not exist
ChatGPT and its AI typing cousins like Claude and Gemini have broken through the gates of academia. Educators around the world are scrambling to adapt. But most are doing it wrong.
Mastering AI isn’t about finding a magic phrase or perfecting a digital wizardry—it’s about understanding which levers to pull so you can deliver superior results.
I am ready to submit the project to you.
Are you prepared?
As the author of The AI Classroom and a leading voice in AI for education, I’ve distilled thousands of hours of research and hands-on experience into a set of eight levers that will transform your interactions with AI.
The eight levers are:
Propose
Place your order with laser precision. By presenting your request, you are setting the stage and creating a foundation for the rest of the instructions. It is vital to give a clear and concise command. Avoid using vague language.
role
Tell HIM who he is. Context is king. It helps him know how to approach the question and give an accurate and appropriate answer. You are basically telling them what hat to wear for the task at hand.
Clear instructions
Clarity is your best friend. Leave some room for AI guesswork. Don’t assume I know what you’re thinking or what you need. By giving clear instructions, you make sure he’s on the same page as you.
Use your existing expertise to guide him in:
- The pedagogical approach you want
- Knowledge of the subject you want to focus on
- Students you teach (without submitting personal information)
presentation
Forms answer. Setting clear parameters helps him understand what you’re looking for, while enabling him to give a more accurate answer. The goal is to be in control. Outsource your work, not your thinking.
Things to consider include:
- Tone of voice
- Language
- Word length
- Number of paragraphs
- Length of sentences
- SENSE
- format
- Reading age
Ask
Flip the script. Ask him to ask you questions that will help him give you a more complete and qualitative answer. Instruct him to do this in bullet points so it’s easier for you to read.
rate
Look for self-esteem. It’s like having an AI quality control team. Ask him to evaluate the quality of the answer he gave you and provide evidence of this evaluation. This will help you understand his thought process, so you can ask him to improve or adjust your request to get better results.
Emotions
Yes, you read that right. AI responds to emotional context. Appeal to her emotional side. Emphasize the importance of getting this right.
dIVERSITY
Proactively address biases. It is not only fair; is smart We all know that we need to watch out for bias in AI results, but what if we don’t recognize the bias present? Unconscious bias is something we all have. A tool like ChatGPT can help with this by simply asking it to look for underrepresented voices in its output.
READY In Action
Propose
Create a rubric for this student assignment: Create a presentation on the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to present to the class.
role
Act as a knowledgeable 8th grade Geography teacher who is an expert in pedagogy and specializes in earthquakes.
Clear instructions
The task is for the 8th class of Geography. The rubric should focus on demonstrating knowledge through the SOLO taxonomy and include separate levels for presentation quality. Include examples of content in the column.
presentation
The rubric should be presented on the board and written at the 11-year-old reading level.
Ask
After you have given me a draft rubric, ask me some follow-up questions, to the points, so that you can give a more complete and qualitative answer.
rate
Give a rating between one and ten for the quality of your column. Additionally, present the criteria you used in a table to help me understand your thought process.
Emotions
This assignment is vital to my career and will help my students develop their understanding.
dIVERSITY
Are there underrepresented voices in this thread that I can include?
Flexibility is key
When using the elements of PREPARE, it is important to understand that it is not a rigid, step-by-step process. It’s your swiss army knife to improve your AI interactions. You don’t need to apply each element in a linear fashion; instead, use the aspects that are most relevant to your current needs.
Many users find success by starting with a natural conversation and then selectively pulling the PREPARE levers when looking for more accurate answers. This flexible approach means you can adapt your requirements on the fly. When you pull the levers, you refine your questions and extract more specific and accurate information from the AI.
AI in education is not coming. It’s here. By utilizing the READY framework, you’re not just keeping the pace, you’re setting it.