You know that feeling when you finally sit down to plan… and suddenly it’s 9:47 PM? You’re not “bad at time management.” Teaching just has a million moving parts.
The good news: AI tools for teachers have gotten way more practical. We’re not talking about weird sci‑fi stuff. We’re talking about tools that can help you write a quiz faster, simplify a reading, draft feedback, and cut down the time you spend staring at a blank Google Doc.
Here’s a list of free AI tools for teachers that actually save time, plus simple ways to use them without adding new stress.
What “free” really means (so you don’t waste time)
Here’s the thing: “free” often means one of these:
- Free forever with limits (like usage caps)
- Free for teachers in certain regions
- Free through your school account (Google/Microsoft)
- Free trial
That’s not automatically bad. If a tool saves you 30 minutes every week, even a limited free plan can still be a huge win.
1) Best free AI tool for lesson planning: Gemini in Classroom
If you already use Google Classroom, this is one of the easiest places to start because it’s built for teacher workflows inside Google’s education ecosystem.
Google shared that Gemini in Classroom includes “no‑cost AI tools” and a large set of features designed to help with common teaching tasks (like planning and creating materials). You can read the announcement here: Gemini in Classroom: No‑cost AI tools that amplify teaching and learning.
What it’s great for
Lesson plan outlines when you’re starting from scratch
Brainstorming hooks, warm-ups, and exit tickets
Rewriting directions so students actually understand them
Tiny real-life example
It’s Sunday night. You have tomorrow’s topic… but no lesson flow. You ask Gemini for a simple lesson structure (hook → mini lesson → guided practice → independent work → exit ticket). Then you pick the parts you like and swap in your own resources. You just saved yourself that “blank page” battle.
2) Best free AI assistant built for teachers: Khanmigo for Teachers
Khan Academy’s Khanmigo for Teachers is designed as an AI assistant specifically for teacher tasks. Khan Academy also announced that Khanmigo for Teachers is free for all U.S. teachers (supported through Microsoft). Start here: Khanmigo for Teachers (official page)and the official announcement here: Khanmigo for Teachers now 100% free for all U.S. teachers.
What it’s great for
Drafting rubrics fast
Creating quiz questions and checks for understanding
Generating lesson hooks and examples
Helping you think through supports for different learners (without starting from zero)
Tiny real-life example
You’re making a rubric for a short writing assignment. Instead of building it line by line, you ask Khanmigo for a 4-level rubric aligned to your goal (claim + evidence + organization). You quickly edit the wording to match how you grade. Done in 10 minutes instead of 45.
3) Best free AI tool for feedback: Brisk Teaching
Brisk is popular because it works as a browser extension and is built around teacher tasks like feedback, materials, and workflow help. Official site: Brisk Teaching. If you want a big teacher-friendly roundup that includes Brisk and lots of other classroom tools, this list is helpful: 40 AI Tools for Teachers in the Classroom.
What it’s great for
Drafting feedback on student writing
Speeding up comment patterns (while still letting you personalize)
Turning “I’ll do it later” tasks into “done before lunch” tasks
Tiny real-life example
You’re grading 28 paragraphs and keep typing the same feedback:
“Nice idea—now add evidence.”
With Brisk, you can generate a strong first pass of feedback quickly, then adjust it so it still sounds like you (and so students don’t feel like a robot graded them).
4) Best free AI tool for differentiation: Diffit (free version available)
If differentiation takes up a big chunk of your planning time, Diffit is worth a look. It’s made to help you adapt materials for different levels. Diffit’s pricing/plans pages state there’s a free version available: Diffit Pricingand Diffit Plans.
What it’s great for
Adjusting reading level
Creating different versions of the same concept
Saving time when you’d normally search for three separate resources
Tiny real-life example
You find one great article for class… but it’s too hard for some students and not challenging enough for others. Diffit helps you generate leveled versions so you can keep the class on the same topic without spending your whole evening rewriting.
5) Best free AI tool for teacher writing: Gemini for Education (policies matter)
A lot of teachers use AI for the “invisible work”: emails, parent communication, behavior notes, newsletters, and sub plans. Google’s Gemini for Education page describes Gemini availability and education-focused protections/policies for Workspace for Education: Gemini for Education.
What it’s great for
Parent emails that are calm, clear, and professional
Newsletter drafts
Behavior documentation that’s factual (not emotional)
Rewriting your message so it’s firm but kind
Tiny real-life example
You’re writing that email about missing work, and you don’t want it to sound harsh. You ask Gemini to draft a message that’s clear, supportive, and includes next steps. You edit the details (dates, assignment names, policy). Done.
A simple teacher workflow (that doesn’t feel like “one more thing”)
If you want a realistic routine using AI productivity tools for teachers, try this:
Draft the plan (outline + activities) using Gemini in Classroom or Khanmigo
Differentiate one reading using Diffit
Link: Diffit
Create feedback faster with Brisk
Link: Brisk Teaching
The cool part is you’re not rebuilding your whole system. You’re just using teachers automation tools to remove the slowest parts.
Quick safety check (so AI doesn’t create problems later)
AI saves time, but only if you use it smart.
Stick to school-approved tools and accounts when possible (especially with student data). See Google’s education page for their policy framing: Gemini for Education.
Don’t treat outputs as “automatically correct.” Always do a quick teacher review, especially for assessments. (This matters even more for younger grades.)
Use AI for the first draft, then make it yours. Your voice is what makes it work.
Conclusion: pick one tool and win back your time
If you’ve been searching for easy AI tools for teachers, start with the tools that match your daily workflow:
For planning: Gemini in Classroom
For teacher-specific help: Khanmigo for Teachers
For feedback speed: Brisk Teaching
For differentiation: Diffit
Next steps (simple + practical)
Pick one task you hate (rubrics, exit tickets, parent emails) and test one tool on it this week.
Save your best output as a template so you don’t start over next time.
Set a 15-minute timer the first time you try it—if it doesn’t save time quickly, drop it.
