We’re already well into the year, and I think it’s the right moment to pause and take stock of the AI tools that have stood out so far especially for us in education. Over the past few months, I’ve been testing and reviewing dozens of AI tools, keeping an eye on how they can actually support teachers in real classroom settings. Not just flashy tech, but practical tools that lighten the workload, save time, and enhance the way we plan, teach, and communicate.
AI Tools Teachers Should Try in 2025
In this post, I’m sharing with you what I believe are some of the most useful AI tools to try in 2025. From lesson planning assistants and content generators to smart transcription tools and creative design aids, each one brings something valuable to the table. If you haven’t explored these yet, now might be a good time to start.
1. NotebookLM
If you haven’t tried NotebookLM yet, I really think you should. It’s like having a research assistant right inside your notes. You upload your teaching materials, lesson plans, PDFs, docs, and then ask it questions about them or have it summarize, generate outlines, or even quiz questions. It’s especially helpful when you’re juggling multiple units or prepping for new content. It helps you keep things coherent without having to reread everything ten times.
2. Otter AI
For those of you who sit through long meetings or record lectures, Otter AI is a game-changer. It transcribes everything in real time and even identifies speakers. You can go back, highlight, comment, and pull quotes without relistening to hours of audio.
3. ChatGPT / Claude
I use these two almost daily. Whether you’re drafting emails, creating comprehension questions, writing rubrics, or just trying to brainstorm creative tasks, ChatGPT and Claude are incredibly helpful. You just need to give them the right prompt and they’ll give you something you can build on. I argue that they’re not here to replace our thinking but to speed up all the tasks that keep us from focusing on actual teaching.
4. MagicSchool
MagicSchool is built for educators, so it speaks our language. You can generate IEP goals, write parent letters, build scaffolds, and even create lesson plans in minutes. What I like about it is that it’s specific to school needs, not some generic AI tool that needs tons of context. You pick the task, type in your subject and grade, and it gets to work.
5. Canva
For those of you who think you’re not “design people,” Canva proves you wrong. It’s my go-to for slides, posters, worksheets, newsletters you name it. And now with AI features like Magic Write and Magic Design, it’s even easier to go from idea to visual without wasting hours tweaking fonts and colors. It’s simple, intuitive, and honestly a lifesaver when you’re short on prep time.
6. Curipod
If you’re looking for a way to spark more engagement in your classroom, Curipod is worth checking out. You just enter a topic, and it generates an interactive slide deck with polls, questions, and discussion prompts all aligned to your input. It’s a solid tool for class warm-ups or exit activities.
7. Brisk Teaching
Brisk Teaching is like having an AI assistant that lives right inside your browser. You can highlight student writing, and it gives you feedback suggestions, grammar checks, and even lets you create quizzes based on the text. Definitely handy when you need to give focused, timely feedback without spending hours on it.
8. Diffit
I think Diffit is one of the most teacher-friendly differentiation tools out there. You give it a topic or a link, and it generates leveled reading passages, vocabulary lists, and comprehension questions all scaffolded for your students’ reading levels. It’s perfect when you want to support struggling readers without simplifying your entire curriculum. Just plug in what you’re teaching and let it do the heavy lifting.
9. Eduaide
Eduaide acts like a creative partner when you’re building out your lesson materials. It can generate discussion prompts, multiple-choice questions, writing tasks, and more tailored to your subject and grade. Great for when you hit a creative block mid-planning.
10. Google Docs + AI
If you’re already using Google Docs, you need to explore its new AI features. I’ve used them to rewrite rough drafts, summarize long paragraphs, change the tone of a message, and even auto-generate bullet points from my lesson notes. It’s not just a writing tool, it’s a time-saver built into something you’re probably already using daily. Once you start using features like “Help me write” and “Refine,” you won’t want to go back.
11. Almanack
Almanack is like an AI-powered lesson planning studio. You tell it what you’re teaching, and it helps generate standards-aligned plans, assessments, and even pacing guides. What makes it stand out, in my opinion, is that it understands the structure we’re expected to follow, it doesn’t just throw content at you, it helps organize it in a way that actually makes sense in a classroom.
12. Napkin AI
If you ever struggle with turning abstract ideas into visuals, Napkin AI is a tool you’ll appreciate. You type in your concept whether it’s a process, a cause-and-effect chain, or even a research framework and it generates diagrams, mind maps, and flowcharts on the spot. I use it to create quick visual aids that help students (and me) better grasp complex topics.
13. Eightify
Eightify is built for those of us who like learning on the go. It summarizes YouTube videos into eight key ideas, which is perfect when you’re previewing PD content or looking for quick takeaways from an educational talk. I think of it as a time-saver that helps you vet content before committing to watching the full thing, useful when every minute counts.
14. Text Blaze
Text Blaze is one of those low-profile tools that quietly saves you loads of time. It lets you create text snippets you can insert anywhere with a shortcut. You can use it to write parent emails, student feedback, even weekly reminders, anything you repeat often. If you’re tired of retyping the same responses, this is the kind of automation that keeps your sanity intact.
15. Twee
Twee is a neat little AI assistant for English teachers. It helps you create grammar explanations, vocabulary exercises, story prompts, and even discussion questions. What’s great is that you can customize everything by level and context, so it works whether you’re teaching ESL or advanced writing. It gives you a solid base to work from instead of starting from scratch every time.
16. Elicit
Elicit is one of those tools that can completely change how you do research. You enter a question, and it pulls key insights from academic papers, no need to scroll endlessly through Google Scholar. It also helps you frame research questions, compare study results, and synthesize ideas. I recommend it for any teacher doing action research, grad work, or just trying to stay current without drowning in PDFs.
17. Scispace
Scispace makes reading academic papers a lot less painful. You upload a PDF, and it explains the content in plain language. You can highlight a paragraph and ask it what that part means or get a summary of the entire paper. For teachers diving into research-heavy topics or just brushing up on theory, this saves serious time and helps you actually understand what you’re reading—not just skim it.
18. Fireflies AI
Fireflies AI is a solid choice if you need to keep track of meetings or online classes. It joins Zoom or Google Meet, records the session, and creates searchable transcripts with highlights. Instead of scribbling notes, you can focus on the conversation and come back to the transcript later.
19. Khanmigo
Built by the team behind Khan Academy, Khanmigo helps students solve problems step by step without giving away answers, and it also supports writing feedback and coding tasks. What I appreciate is that it’s designed with learning in mind, it guides, prompts, and encourages thought rather than just spitting out answers. Great tool for independent work or homework help.
20. SchoolAI
SchoolAI offers a bunch of important features like AI-generated parent emails, SEL check-ins, and even personalized learning activities. You can use it when you want quick support with communication or to create tailored content without going down a rabbit hole. It’s one of those tools that’s quietly powerful and fits right into your workflow without making things more complicated.
Final thoughts
These are just some of the AI tools I think are worth your attention this year. Of course, not every tool will fit every teacher’s style or needs, but exploring a few of them might open up new possibilities in your day-to-day work. As always, use what works, tweak what doesn’t, and don’t hesitate to experiment. AI isn’t here to take over our classrooms, it’s here to help us do what we do best, with a little more ease and a lot less burnout.
