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Set your AI rules before students set them for you

Say, assignment by assignment, when AI is allowed — and design work that shows the thinking.

Written with AI — this one isn’t Tammy. The Field Guide covers ground her videos don’t, and keeps to what’s well established. It doesn’t know your students, and nothing here overrides your school’s policy or your state’s law. · 1 min read

What to do

Check your district's policy first, then be specific for each assignment: no AI, AI for particular steps, or AI encouraged. “Don't cheat” isn't specific enough.
Design assignments where the process is visible: in-class drafting, outlines, short conferences, a quick spoken explanation of the work.
Don't treat AI detectors as proof. They're unreliable, and research has found some are far more likely to flag writing by non-native English speakers.
If you suspect misuse, talk with the student about the work. Someone who wrote it can usually explain it.
Teach AI literacy directly: these tools can be confidently wrong, sources need checking, and some uses help learning while others skip it.

Why it works

Students are going to use these tools, and a vague ban mostly penalises the honest ones. Clear expectations make the line visible, and assignments that reveal the process make “who did the thinking?” far easier to answer — without accusations built on a detector score.

Try this tomorrow

On your next assignment sheet, add one line in bold — “AI use on this assignment: ___” — and fill it in.

Watch out

An accusation resting only on a detector score can do real harm to a student and to your credibility. Follow your school's academic integrity process.