OTHER BLOGS

I’m going to start with a small teacher confession.

I want to love MagicSchool. I really do.

I even have the paid version.

But the honest truth is this: I’ve never really gotten into it. And over time, I’ve realized why.

This isn’t a hit piece. MagicSchool isn’t bad. In fact, for a lot of teachers, it’s a solid starting point. But as I’ve spent more time using AI in my own classroom and planning, I’ve run into two recurring problems that eventually pushed me in a different direction.

Problem: Too many tools create friction instead of saving time

MagicSchool offers a lot of tools. On paper, that sounds incredible. The idea of having a specific generator for every teaching task is appealing.

In practice, though, this is what it often looks like for me:

I open MagicSchool. I scroll through the options. I click one tool. Then I pause and think, “Wait… is this actually the right one?” So I back out. Click another. Try again.

It ends up feeling a lot like scrolling Netflix trying to pick a show. Too many choices, not enough clarity.

Even after I finally choose a tool, I usually still need to tweak the output. Sometimes a little. Sometimes a lot.

By the time I have something usable, I’ve already spent more time than I wanted to.

AI is supposed to reduce decision fatigue. But when you’re choosing between forty tools that all sound almost the same, it can actually do the opposite.

SOLUTION: Going straight to AI is often faster and more precise

This was the bigger realization for me.

It’s often just as fast—or faster—to open ChatGPT or Gemini and write a prompt that fits my situation exactly.

My students. My standards. My time constraints. My style.

Instead of hoping a pre-built tool guesses what I need, I can simply tell the AI:

• what grade I teach

• what my students struggle with

• what I’ve already done

• what I want the final product to look like

When I do that, I usually get something usable on the first or second try.

No hunting for the “right” tool. No re-running the same generator five times. No fighting the output.

BIG takeaway: prompting is the real skill

Here’s the honest takeaway I’ve landed on.

If you spend a little time learning how to write good prompts, you quickly realize you don’t need most AI tool libraries.

MagicSchool can be a great entry point, especially if AI feels intimidating or overwhelming.

But long-term, prompting is the skill that actually saves time.

Once you know how to clearly explain what you want, you’re no longer limited by someone else’s menu of tools. You can build exactly what you need, when you need it.

Final thoughts

If AI ever feels inefficient or frustrating, don’t assume you’re doing it wrong.

Sometimes the fastest move isn’t adding another tool. It’s learning how to communicate better with the AI you already have.

In future posts and videos, I’ll break down the exact prompts I use so you can do the same.

Welcome to AI for Teachers Today.