A prompt is simply the instruction you give an AI tool. A vague prompt gets a vague answer. These five habits make a big difference.
1. Say who it is for
"Explain photosynthesis to a ten-year-old in Nigeria who has never seen a diagram." The audience changes the language.
2. Say what you want
Be specific about the task: a summary, a quiz, a lesson plan, a list of ideas, a code example.
3. Give context
Mention the class, the time available, the topic or the problem you are stuck on. Add any facts the tool needs.
4. Choose the format
"Give me five bullet points", "write a table", "keep it under 150 words".
5. Ask again
Treat the first answer as a draft. Say "make it simpler", "add an example from daily life" or "check this for mistakes".
A before-and-after
Before: "Write about fractions." After: "Write a 20-minute lesson on adding fractions for Primary 5, with a simple everyday example, three practice questions and an answer key. Keep the language easy."
Always read what comes back and correct it. Prompts are a skill, and like any skill they improve with practice. For more, see our guide on prompts for teachers.