Teaching with AI: Best Practices for Ethical and Responsible Classroom Integration

If it feels like AI is suddenly everywhere in education, you're not imagining things. From casual staff room conversations to curriculum planning meetings, tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and TeachShare are becoming staples of many teachers' toolkits. What used to feel like science fiction: auto-generated lesson plans, instant feedback on student writing, or on-demand differentiation is a reality now. But here’s the thing: just because we can use AI doesn’t mean we always should, at least not without some thought. As teachers, we’re not just tech users; we’re role models, decision-makers, and digital mentors. How we use AI in our classrooms will help shape how our students understand and engage with it in the real world. So how do we harness the full potential of this transformative tool, while ensuring we use it ethically, responsibly, and in service of real learning?

What Is Generative AI?

So what exactly is generative AI? At its simplest, Generative AI refers to tools that can create new content: text, images, audio, or code based on prompts and patterns. Popular tools like ChatGPT or Claude can write essays, solve equations, summarize articles, or explain complex topics in plain English (absolutely crazy!). These tools are trained on massive datasets (think the entire internet), which means they can simulate human-like responses across a huge range of topics. Well what does that mean for teachers?

In education, that means:

• Faster prep

• More differentiated materials

• Extra support for diverse learners

• Opportunities for creativity and critical thinking

  
  

But it also raises questions. How do we use these tools responsibly? How do we ensure equity? And how do we avoid over-reliance or misuse?

Ethical Considerations: What Every Teacher Should Know

Let’s break this down into four areas that matter most:

1. Student Data and Privacy

When it comes to using AI in the classroom, student data privacy isn’t optional, it’s the law.

Under FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), educators are legally obligated to protect students’ education records, which include any personally identifiable information (PII) maintained by a school or institution. This includes names, student ID numbers, grades, attendance records, and anything else that could directly or indirectly identify a student.

According to Northern Michigan University’s faculty guide, this is especially important when using generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or other third-party services that process user input. Even though these tools can feel like casual or helpful assistants, they often log and store input, which could become a violation if you’re entering student-specific data.

What You Should NOT Do:

• Never copy and paste student names, essays, grades, or identifying notes into public AI tools unless your institution has an agreement with that tool.

• Do not assume “directory information” (like a student’s name or email) is safe to use in AI tools unless the student has opted in and your school allows it.

  
  

What You SHOULD Do Instead:

• Use tools designed for education that comply with FERPA and prioritize teacher control and student privacy. TeachShare is built specifically for schools and educators, meaning your student interactions stay private, secure, and fully under your control.

• Obtain explicit student consent if you plan to use their data with any AI tool that isn’t directly authorized by your institution.

• Apply data minimization, only use what’s necessary. For example, if you’re asking an AI tool to help improve a writing prompt, anonymize the content before uploading.

• Ensure third-party agreements are in place for any external tools used in your teaching. Your school’s IT or compliance team should be part of that conversation.

  
  

Best Practices You Can Implement Today:

• Take 15 minutes to review your school or district’s FERPA policy and ask your IT department if the tools you use are approved.

• Educate your students on how they should protect their own data when using AI tools for assignments.

• Use platforms like TeachShare that let you create, store, and collaborate on AI-supported content without exposing student information to third parties.

  
  

By understanding the intersection of AI and FERPA, you’re not just avoiding legal risk, you’re modeling responsible digital citizenship for your students. In a world where AI is rapidly becoming part of daily learning, protecting student privacy is more than a checkbox, it’s part of building trust, ethics, and equity into everything we teach.

2. Academic Integrity

Yes, students can (and do) use AI to write papers or answer questions. But banning AI isn’t the answer, it’s teaching them how and when to use it that builds real understanding. As highlighted in a Harvard Graduate School of Education article, the real opportunity for learning begins after AI provides an answer. Educator Houman Harouni explains that students should be guided to question, critique, and expand on AI-generated responses, rather than rely on them blindly.

Try this: Frame AI as a “thinking partner,” not a cheat sheet. Encourage students to use it for brainstorming, then revise with their own ideas. Tools like TeachShare offer student prompts and rubrics designed to support thoughtful, responsible use.

3. Bias and Misinformation

AI models reflect the biases in the data they’re trained on. They can reinforce stereotypes or offer misleading info, especially on historical, political, or social topics.

Teacher Tip: Use AI as a way to teach media literacy. Ask students to fact-check AI output and reflect on how bias might be present in the response. TeachShare offers debate and analysis assignments that help build these skills.

4. Teacher Voice and Autonomy

AI should support your work, not replace your professional judgment. Think of it as a digital co-teacher that helps with ideas, drafts, and inspiration, but the human connection and decision-making still belong to you.

Effective Ways to Use Generative AI in Teaching

Here are some of the top teacher-approved uses, backed by real classroom practice and emerging research:

1. Smarter Lesson Planning

AI can quickly suggest activities, essential questions, or differentiated tasks.

With TeachShare: Use the Creator Tool to build AI-resilient lesson plans or refine ready-made ones shared by fellow teachers.

2. Support for Writing and Language

Use AI to generate prompts, provide sentence starters, or translate instructions.

With TeachShare: Access inclusive writing scaffolds and multilingual resources for ELLs.

3. Instant Feedback for Students

Generative AI can offer formative writing feedback (clarity, grammar, organization).

With TeachShare: Use rubric templates and peer review tools that support thoughtful, AI-assisted revision.

4. Differentiation and Accessibility

AI can rewrite reading passages at different levels or offer visual/simplified explanations.

With TeachShare: Customize materials to meet IEP goals or reading supports with ease.

5. Creative Project Ideas

Need a role-play, escape room, or real-world challenge? Let AI help spark something fresh.

With TeachShare: Explore project-based learning templates built by real teachers, then adapt them with AI to fit your topic.

Why TeachShare Makes AI Use Safer, Smarter, and Simpler

TeachShare is THE platform built for the modern world of teaching. It utilizes AI to assist and help teachers NOT replace them.

Here’s how it helps:

Ethical By Design

Created specifically for teachers. No student data required. No shady fine print. Just tools that respect your autonomy and your students’ privacy.

Easy Lesson Creation with AI Support

Use the Creator Tool to build lesson plans, assessments, or journals from scratch, the AI helps suggest content, you stay in control.

Customizable Rubrics, Reflection Prompts, and More

Access the TeachShare Toolbox to enhance your tasks with rigor, reflection, and clarity.

Real Classroom Resources from Real Teachers

Browse and edit peer-shared resources, every one comes with teacher notes and context, so you know what actually worked.

Aligned to Responsible Use and AI Literacy Goals

Whether you’re designing a unit on digital citizenship or just trying to model ethical AI use, TeachShare has built-in guidance, examples, and project templates.

Where to Start

Feeling inspired but unsure where to begin? Try this:

1. Pick a simple task (maybe a reading response or quiz) and explore how AI could help.

2. Log into TeachShare and search by grade, subject, or skill.

3. Use the Creator Tool to build or adapt a task with AI-powered support.

4. Try it with your students and reflect on what worked.

5. Share your version with other teachers, build your community, not just your folder.

Final Thoughts: Keep the Humanity in the Tech

AI is not a threat to teaching, it’s a challenge to grow thoughtfully. When used well, it saves time, boosts engagement, and frees you up to focus on what really matters: relationships, creativity, and meaningful learning. TeachShare was built for this moment. It gives you the tools to use AI ethically, effectively, and without losing your voice or your values.