Part 3 On Your Own

I originally asked for ChatGPT to compose an email about a student I am concerned about/struggling in the math classroom.  I then asked it to change the tone to make it more "friendly" since it was very formal.  It came up with a good email, but I thought, "wouldn't it be nice to compose an email to a parent about a student that is doing amazing in class?"  I know those parents don't hear from us teachers enough.  I asked ChatGPT so compose an email from a teacher to a parent about a student doing exceptional work, and that is also a great person.  I posted evidence of that email. 

I used ChatGPT to create an email for a parent about their child who is struggling in French class. At first, the email was very broad. Then, I added in more specifics, such as struggling with our new vocabulary and verb tense and ChatGPT added that into the email. I liked this second email a lot better because while it still provided blanks for me to fill in, most of the email was pre-written, which can save tons of time. 

I decided to use ChatGPT to create an email to the parent of a student who is struggling in my class. My first prompt asked for a professional but supportive email that explained the student’s challenges in staying focused and suggested next steps. The initial draft was helpful, but a little too generic. I refined my prompts by asking the AI to “make the tone encouraging while still emphasizing accountability” and to “add specific suggestions the student can try in class and at home.” I then rephrased my prompt to be more directed towards a student's struggle to stay focused. With these adjustments, the final draft felt much more personal and practical.

 Through this process, I learned that the quality of the AI’s response depends on how clearly I word the prompt. Generally speaking, the more detail I provide, the better the response I get. The first attempt gave me a decent framework, but it wasn’t until I added details about tone, content, and student needs that the draft became usable. 

I started by asking ChatGPT to write a sample email to a parent of a 1st-grade student who was struggling with reading fluency. The first version was a bit too formal and didn’t sound like my voice, so I refined my prompt. I asked it to “make the tone warmer and more personal, as if a caring teacher was writing it,” and to “suggest a next step the parent could try at home.” After a few more edits asking it to include specific strategies (like practicing sight words or using decodable books), the final version felt natural and supportive, something I’d truly send. Next, I asked for a letter of reference for a student who was hardworking, had great character, and earned “citizen of the month.” The first version listed traits, but it felt generic. I prompted again, saying “use specific examples of how this student showed kindness and tried hard in class,” and added details like the student helping a classmate or turning in extra practice work. The final version felt authentic and personalized, which I could use in a real scenario.