My wife is a teacher and she always complains about writing reference letters. It’s time consuming but hugely important for the students. She’s had a stellar track record and many of her students end up at Ivy league schools.

She always complains about how long it takes her to write those reference letters. If that’s you, then I’ll show you how we reduced her writing time by more than 50%.

Start Small and Expand Gradually

Many people feel overwhelmed when trying to incorporate A.I. into their work routine. They often think they need to make big changes all at once.

The answer is to start with small, manageable steps. Begin by using A.I. for one specific task and build from there.

For example, we started by using A.I. to generate outlines for the reference letters. This simple step saved time and provided a structure for the full letters.

In our case, my wife began by using A.I. to create bullet points of student achievements. She then expanded these points into full paragraphs. This approach made the transition smoother and less daunting.

Taking small steps is key to successfully integrating A.I. into your workflow.

Now, let’s move on to the next important lesson we learned.

Perfect A.I. Outputs Don’t Exist

Many people believe that A.I. will produce flawless content right away. They expect to input a few details and receive a perfect reference letter in return.

This expectation usually fades quickly after the first few attempts.

It’s crucial to accept that A.I. outputs will require editing and refinement.

We noticed that even experienced A.I. users often fall into this trap of expecting perfection.

Here’s the truth about A.I.-generated content:

• It often contains inaccuracies or generic statements
• The tone and style may not match your personal writing voice
• It might miss important nuances or specific details about the student

The key to success is viewing A.I. as a helpful assistant rather than a replacement for human expertise.

While the allure of instant, perfect content is strong, remember that your knowledge and personal touch are still essential. Let’s explore our final lesson.

Prioritize Personalization Over Speed

A common mistake is focusing solely on how quickly you can produce letters with A.I. This approach often leads to generic, impersonal recommendations.

Rushing through the process and relying too heavily on A.I.-generated content can result in letters that lack the personal touch that makes them effective. Admissions officers can often spot generic, A.I.-generated content.

Instead, use the time saved by A.I. to add more personalized details and anecdotes to each letter.

In our experience, my wife initially got excited about how quickly she could generate letters using A.I. However, she soon realized that these rapid-fire letters lacked the warmth and specificity of her handcrafted ones. We then adjusted our approach, using A.I. to create a base structure but dedicating more time to adding personal touches and specific examples for each student.

Remember, the goal is not just to write faster, but to write better, more impactful letters.

To recap, we learned three important lessons:

1. Start small and gradually expand your use of A.I.
2. Don’t expect perfect A.I. outputs – editing is necessary
3. Use the time saved by A.I. to enhance personalization

By applying these lessons, you can effectively use A.I. to write reference letters faster without sacrificing quality or personal touch.

Select the right A.I.

The first key is to select the right A.I. model. My recommendation is claude if you are doing anything writing related. We’re using Poe and we selected Claude as the A.I. of choice. Any other A.I. will do if you can’t get Claude.

Prompt the A.I.

The more you can tell the A.I., the more precise the A.I. can be. The difference between an average A.I. result and a great one is the level of detail you can provide. If you just prompt it to “write me a reference letter” then it will give you poor results.

What you want is to give it as much context as you can. Where do you teach, which subject, location, etc.

Then you want to give the A.I. as much information as possible about the student you are writing about.

Finally, everyone can tell if something is written in A.I. Nobody wants a bland A.I. generated letter. Attach a few of your written works as .doc to the prompt and ask the A.I. to copy your style of writing.

Here’s the prompt I used:

I'm a high school teacher teaching grade <insert grade> at <insert school name>. I teach the <insert teaching program i.e. IB, GCSE> in <subject i.e. Math, chemistry>.

<Tone>
I have attached some past references letter I have written. 

<Student>
Name of student: <insert>
Key points about students:
- <insert characteristic, i.e. Fast learner>
- <insert characteristic, i.e. Participation>

Imagine you are me, can you write a reference letter in my tone for my student that is 500 words long.

and viola. You’ve got yourself a template to start for your reference letter. It’ll be 70% there and you’ll still need to edit it yourself but you’re off to a good start.

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