Principles of LLM Prompting for Teachers
Teachers have a foundational knowledge of education but may not be familiar with advanced concepts in AI or prompting. This list of "Prompt Principles" is practical, easy to understand, and directly relevant to their daily instructional tasks. The aim is to empower educators to use large language models (LLMs) effectively in creating curriculum content, enhancing their lesson plans, and supporting student learning. consider-the-audience
1. Be Direct but Consider Politeness
While brevity is important, studies have shown that using polite language can encourage more creative and human-like responses from AI. Feel free to use phrases like "please" or "thank you," especially if it mirrors the tone you'd like to see in the response.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Please list five activities to teach addition to first graders.
Rationale:
Teachers are accustomed to modeling politeness in the classroom, and using polite language with AI can result in more nuanced, thoughtful responses while maintaining clarity. LINK NEEDED
2. Consider the Audience
Clearly specify the grade level or student group when asking the LLM for resources or explanations. This helps the model tailor its output to be age-appropriate.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Explain the concept of photosynthesis in simple terms suitable for third graders.
Rationale:
Teachers need resources that match their students' comprehension levels, so directing the model to consider the audience ensures relevance.
3. Break Down Tasks
If your task is complex, break it down into smaller steps and ask the LLM one question at a time. This helps ensure that each part of the task is handled thoroughly.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
First, list the key events of the American Revolution. Then, for each event, provide a short description suitable for fourth graders.
Rationale:
Teachers often scaffold lessons to build understanding, so they should do the same when using an LLM to create content.
4. Use Affirmative Language
Use clear, positive instructions like "Create" or "Explain," rather than using negatives like "Don't forget."
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Create a list of fun science experiments for second graders.
Rationale:
Positive language helps ensure the model focuses on what you want rather than what you don’t want.
5. Seek Clarity
If you need a clearer explanation or want to understand a topic better, ask the LLM to explain it in simple terms or as if you're teaching young students.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
- Explain the water cycle in a way a second-grader would understand.
- Break down the steps of a simple science experiment for first graders.
Rationale:
Teachers need content that’s easily digestible for their students, so prompts should be clear and focused on simplicity.
6. Example-Driven Prompts
Provide examples when asking the LLM to generate content. This helps the model understand what you’re looking for. or even go further and use chain of thought prompting, Link needed.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Here's an example of a math problem I use for second grade: 'If you have 5 apples and you eat 2, how many do you have left?' Now, create five similar problems.
Rationale:
Examples clarify expectations, which is particularly useful when creating consistent and effective educational materials.
7. Markdown: Unlock the Power of Simple Formatting
Learning Markdown can greatly enhance your experience instructing AIs. This simple, lightweight formatting system is easy to grasp, requiring just a few basic rules.
One essential rule to understand is how to add examples. This is achieved by placing three backticks ``` on their own line before and after any you wish to display.
Tip: Hold Shift + Return to create new lines before submitting your prompts.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Acting as grade three english instructor write three sentences in the same style
```
The cat sat on the mat.
```
Explain the structure of the sentences.
Rationale:
By following this pattern, you can clearly separate instructions from examples. This helps improve the understanding of language models, which have learned this pattern from research and development README files.
8. Use Delimiters and Output Primers:
Encourage teachers to use delimiters like triple pound ### to organize their prompts. These come from the traditional headers of Markdown formatting.
Note: Shift Return allows you to add new lines before you submit your prompt.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Create five math problems for second graders.
### Example:
If you have 10 pencils and give away 3, how many do you have left?
Rationale:
This ensures clarity and structure in the generated content.
9. Start with Clear Instructions
Among with markdown formatting for breaking up sections it’s a great ideas to begin your prompt with a clear instruction, then add examples or specific questions if needed. This helps the LLM stay focused on your request.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Create a lesson plan outline for teaching fractions to third graders.
Include activities like using pie charts or visual aids.
Rationale:
Structured prompts are more likely to yield organized and useful outputs, making lesson planning more straightforward for teachers.
10. Assign a Role
Tell the LLM what role it should take, such as a curriculum developer, to get more tailored responses.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Act as a curriculum developer and create a weekly lesson plan for a seventh-grade science unit on ecosystems.
Rationale:
Specifying a role helps the model generate responses that are more aligned with the teacher's specific needs.
11. Repeat Key Words
Repeating important terms helps reinforce what the teacher needs.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Create a list of vocabulary words for first graders.
Focus on simple, everyday vocabulary words first graders will encounter often. For example, start with: cat, dog, house.
Rationale:
Repetition reinforces the focus of the task.
12. Test Understanding
Teachers can use the LLM to create quizzes or tests to check student understanding.
Example Prompt and Rational
Example Prompt:
Generate a five-question quiz on the water cycle for third graders.
Rationale:
This allows teachers to quickly create assessment tools that are aligned with their lesson objectives.
Conclusion
We're excited to share these simple prompting principles with you, educators and teachers. Our hope is that these guidelines will inspire you to experiment with and effectively harness the power of large language models for your students.
Empowering teachers and learners alike, these models hold incredible potential for creative expression and innovative lesson planning. Stay tuned for more lessons where we'll dive deeper into these exciting topics!
Next Stop
If you found this brief introduction intriguing, take the next step and explore our guide to prompt principles for students. The possibilities are endless, and we can't wait to see what you create!
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