How to Get Started with AI Tutors

Cindy Blackburn

6 min read

It’s an exciting time to be an educator. Over the past three years, AI has gone from a buzzword to a real game-changer in education—and the research is finally catching up to show us how.

Here’s the scoop:

AI is opening doors for learners everywhere, helping to bridge gaps and reimagine what’s possible in education. The question now isn’t if schools should use AI, but how.

Let’s dive into some practical ways schools can integrate AI tutors and unlock their full potential for student success.

How Can Schools Start Using AI Tutors

At Toddle, we’ve made it simple to dive into the world of AI tutors. Our template library is packed with creative ideas for every subject, giving you a solid starting point no matter your teaching focus.

Here’s our advice: Start with a subject you love and feel confident teaching. Then, just play around!

When you create a tutor, it automatically generates a play mode—a feature that lets you interact with the tutor just like your students will. This is your chance to experiment, get comfortable, and have a little fun before rolling it out in the classroom.

What to Try in Play Mode

• Make Mistakes: See how the tutor responds and coaches students toward deeper understanding.
• Test Guardrails: Ask for answers or try something inappropriate to see how Toddle’s safety features step in.
• Challenge the Tutor: Explore a Mastery Builder or other complex tutor type to experience its depth and adaptability.
• Experiment with Tutor Types: Try out various options to find the ones that best fit your teaching goals and student needs.

Having done this myself, I can honestly say how insightful—and even fun—it is to interact with a tutor. While the experience feels similar to generative AI, Toddle’s tutors bring a unique nuance and flavor to the interaction that’s deeply engaging.

Why This Matters

As a teacher or school leader, the best gift you can give yourself is time to explore this tool. It might feel daunting at first to think about integrating something new into your already-full plate, but just a few minutes of play will leave you inspired.

After you assign your first tutor to your class and see the detailed insights from student interactions, it becomes clear how game-changing AI tutors can be. They don’t just streamline assessment and personalization—they open up a world of possibilities for transforming how you teach and how students learn.

Three Ways to Use AI Tutors in Your Classroom

AI tutors are versatile tools that can enhance teaching and learning in powerful ways. Here are three key ways you can integrate them into your practice:

1. Assessment and Instant Feedback

Toddle’s AI tutors provide real-time insights that go beyond traditional assessment tools.

• Classroom Trends: AI generates a detailed overview of strengths and areas for improvement across the classroom, giving you a clear picture of where your students stand.
• Individualized Feedback: You can click on a specific student to see their performance broken into key areas. Strengths and areas for growth are linked to the actual conversation the AI had with the student. For example, if you click on a specific area of improvement, it will take you directly to the point in the chat where the student struggled, so you can explore it further. 

• Actionable Insights: These features help you identify not just what students know, but how they are thinking, making it easier to plan next steps.

2. Personalized Learning Pathways

AI tutors enable you to tailor learning experiences to meet every student’s unique needs.

• Flexible Assignments: Assign one tutor to the whole class or differentiate by creating assignments for smaller groups or individual students.
• Student-Centered Options: Personalize based on student readiness, learning preferences, or interests. For instance, one group might tackle a problem-solving challenge, while another explores a creative project.
• Variety of Responses: Students can engage with tutors using text, voice, or by uploading writing or drawing samples—allowing them to work in ways that feel natural and accessible.

3. Supporting Mastery and Flipping the Classroom

AI tutors are a perfect companion for flipping the classroom or embracing a mastery-based approach.

• Clear Learning Criteria: Students can see exactly what is expected for a tutor assignment, helping them understand their goals.
• Immediate Feedback: As they interact with the tutor, students receive instant, targeted feedback that encourages them to reflect and try again.
• Iterative Learning: Students can engage with the material, get feedback, and choose to retry the task until they reach mastery—all at their own pace.

By leveraging these strategies, AI tutors not only enhance assessment and differentiation but also empower students to take ownership of their learning journey. Ready to explore these possibilities? Toddle’s AI tutors make it easy to get started!

Why Toddle?

Toddle stands out in the world of AI-powered education for its unique combination of functionality, integration, and security. Here’s why educators love Toddle:

1. Fully Integrated, All-in-One Solution

Many tools on the market provide one-off solutions—like AI tutors or lesson plan generators—but Toddle goes beyond that. It’s part of a larger teaching ecosystem, offering everything teachers need in one beautiful, connected space.

With Toddle, you can manage:

• Curriculum mapping and planning
• Teaching and assignments
• Grading and portfolios
• Family communication
• Reporting

No more switching between countless apps or tools! Toddle seamlessly integrates AI into the broader teaching process, making your workflow more efficient and empowering.

2. Safety and Security You Can Trust

Toddle is a walled garden, designed with student privacy and safety in mind. Here’s how we ensure security:

• Data Privacy: No data is ever sold or used to train models.
• Anonymized PII: All personally identifiable information (PII) is anonymized before being processed by a large language model (LLM).
• Secure Hosting: All LLMs are hosted on Toddle’s secure servers.
• Compliance: Toddle adheres to national and international guidelines for student data privacy and security.

Learn more about Toddle’s data privacy measures here.

3. Configurability for Teacher Autonomy

At Toddle, we believe teachers should have control over their tools. That’s why our configuration settings give educators the power to customize every aspect of their AI tutors, including:

• Learning Goals: Focus on the skills and standards that matter most.
• Tutor Style and Behavior: Adjust the language, tone, and helpfulness of the tutor.
• Assessment Tools: Design rubrics and tailor feedback criteria to your specific needs.
• Rules and Resources: Define the tutor’s boundaries and customize the resources it provides to students.

While Toddle offers pre-created tutor templates for ease, the ultimate power lies in the hands of the teacher—making every experience unique and impactful.

Toddle isn’t just a tool; it’s an all-in-one teaching platform designed to supercharge learning with AI, all while keeping educators in the driver’s seat. Ready to experience the difference? Toddle is here to transform your teaching journey!

Conclusion: Why AI Tutors Are the Future of Education

AI tutors are more than just a new tool—they represent a fundamental shift in how we approach teaching and learning. By combining cutting-edge technology with thoughtful pedagogy, tutors open the door to personalized, equitable, and engaging learning experiences for every student.

With Toddle, this potential becomes a reality in a seamless, integrated way. Whether it’s through real-time insights, personalized pathways, or supporting mastery, AI tutors empower educators to meet their students where they are and help them thrive.

The future of education isn’t about replacing teachers—it’s about giving them the tools to do what they do best: inspire, guide, and nurture learners. With AI tutors, teachers and students alike are equipped to reach new heights.

Ready to transform your teaching journey? Let Toddle be your partner in bringing the magic of AI to your classroom.

Footnotes

1. National Education Association. (2024). Artificial intelligence in education: Current state and future possibilities. Retrieved from https://www.nea.org/resource-library/artificial-intelligence-education
2. Liotta, P. (2025, January 17). Here’s how many teens use ChatGPT for homework help. New York Post. Retrieved from https://nypost.com/2025/01/17/tech/heres-how-many-teens-use-chatgpt-for-homework-help-research-now/
3. Mollick, E. (2024). The impact of AI on work quality and speed: Evidence from across industries. Nectar Flow. Retrieved from https://newsletter.nectarflow.com/p/the-multifamily-industry-tradition-over-innovation-3cbd75cc3db7c60e
4. De Simone, M. E., Tiberti, F., Mosuro, W., Manolio, F., Barron, M., & Dikoru, E. (2025, January 9). From chalkboards to chatbots: Transforming learning in Nigeria, one prompt at a time. World Bank Blogs. Retrieved from https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/From-chalkboards-to-chatbots-Transforming-learning-in-Nigeria