AI is becoming a daily part of students’ lives—from writing support to interactive learning tools. For principals, this creates a powerful opportunity: helping teachers guide students to use AI responsibly, ethically, and with confidence.
Here are practical, high-impact steps school leaders can take.
1. Establish a Clear, Schoolwide Vision for AI
Teachers feel more confident when the school’s expectations are simple and consistent. A strong AI vision emphasizes:
- AI as a learning partner, not a replacement for thinking
- AI as a tool for creativity and productivity
- AI use grounded in ethics and accountability
2. Focus PD on Practical Classroom Use
Effective PD includes:
• Real classroom scenarios with sample prompts
• Examples of ethical vs. inappropriate AI use
• Routines for citing AI contributions
• Tips for verifying AI outputs
3. Create Simple Classroom Norms for Ethical Use
Schools can encourage norms such as:
- Disclose when AI has been used
- Do not submit AI-generated work as original
- Use AI for support, not avoidance
- Verify AI information
- Protect personal information
4. Encourage Safe, Creative Exploration
Teachers can integrate activities like:
- Generating multiple solution approaches
- Rewriting texts at various reading levels
- Comparing student-written vs. AI-written hypotheses
- Using AI for brainstorming in writing or STEM
5. Build Reflection Into the Process
- Reflection prompts may include:
- What did AI help you understand better?
- Where did AI fall short?
- How did you verify AI information?
- How would you cite AI’s role?
The Bottom Line
AI is a new literacy. Principals have an essential role in helping teachers feel prepared—and helping students learn to use AI thoughtfully, ethically, and creatively. A culture grounded in clarity, consistency, and curiosity positions students for success in an AI-driven world.
School Leader’s Advantage (SLA) offers a Solution Bot and evidence-based resources that support the effective and ethical use of AI in the Classroom. Sign up for a free trial today at https://schoolleadersadvantage.com.