30 answers to the usual questions.
If this list doesn't cover it, email support@teachermagic.org and we'll add to the page.
01 Is TeacherMagic really free?
Yes. Free forever. No paid tier, no premium features, no trial expiration. The extension costs nothing and there is no account to create.
02 How do you make money?
Currently, we don't. TeacherMagic is built and maintained by Jim Tyler — a working Director of Technology, not a VC-backed startup. The extension and every free tool stay free. Adjacent offerings (educator merch, optional district PD) may exist later, but none of them gate the software.
03 Do I need a TeacherMagic account?
No. There is no account system. No signup, no email, no password.
04 Do you collect student data?
No. The extension has no backend. Nothing is transmitted to any TeacherMagic server because there is no TeacherMagic server. Your Teacher DNA profile is stored in your browser's local storage and attached to prompts client-side.
05 What happens when I press dispatch?
Your prompt (including any DNA context you've filled in) is sent to the AI provider you selected — Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot. It does not pass through TeacherMagic. That AI provider's data policies apply.
06 Is this FERPA compliant?
TeacherMagic itself doesn't collect student data, so there's no FERPA question on our end. FERPA compliance for the AI provider you use (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, Microsoft) is a separate question — check with your district's approved-vendor list.
07 Can I use this in [country]?
If you can install a Chrome extension and reach at least one AI provider, yes. The extension supports 170 country/region frameworks and 106 languages.
08 Which AI is best?
Depends on the task. That's why TeacherMagic lets you dispatch the same prompt to all four — compare outputs and pick.
09 Do I need API keys?
No. TeacherMagic opens the AI provider's web interface (gemini.google.com, chatgpt.com, claude.ai, or Copilot) and pastes your prompt into the chat input. Your existing login on that site is what gets used.
10 Does it work on Safari or Firefox?
Chromium browsers only for now — Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc, Opera. Safari and Firefox are not currently supported.
11 Does it work on iPad?
No. Chrome extensions don't run on iOS/iPadOS.
12 What is Teacher DNA?
An optional profile in the extension's settings. You fill in your grade(s), subjects, class size, curriculum, tone, and other context once — it's silently attached to every prompt after that, so you don't have to re-explain your classroom every time.
13 How many languages are supported?
106 languages. All prompts, form fields, and outputs translate natively. RTL (Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, Urdu) is supported.
14 How many countries?
170 country/region locales, each with its own grade bands, standards framework references, and assessment vocabulary.
15 Is this a student product?
No. TeacherMagic is positioned for teachers. The extension does include some prompts teachers can hand off to students under supervision (Writing Coach, Math Problem Solver, Study Guide Generator). The /quiz standalone tool is the one student-facing classroom experience we ship today.
16 Does it work offline?
No. Dispatching a prompt requires reaching the AI provider. The extension itself loads once and runs locally after that.
17 Can I add custom prompts?
Not yet in the UI. The prompts.js file in the extension source can be edited if you're technical, but this isn't an end-user feature today.
18 What's the difference between TeacherMagic and MagicSchool AI?
Different products by different people. TeacherMagic is a free client-side Chrome extension that dispatches prompts to Gemini/ChatGPT/Claude/Copilot. MagicSchool AI is a standalone platform with its own hosted AI. No affiliation.
19 What is You Shall Not Pass?
A separate free Chrome extension we publish that blocks proxy/unblocker sites students use to bypass school content filters. It's for IT admins to deploy. See /solutions/technology-officers.
20 How do I deploy this district-wide?
Add the extension ID to your Google Workspace ExtensionInstallForcelist policy for the staff OU. See /outcomes/integrate.
21 What about AI in younger grades?
The AI Literacy Activities prompt is K–12-appropriate. Most student-facing prompts work from grade 3 and up. For K–2, we recommend teacher-mediated use only.
22 Is there a mobile app?
Not currently. The extension is Chrome-desktop. A mobile plan is on the roadmap but not committed.
23 What's your refund policy?
There's nothing to refund — it's free.
24 Can my school sponsor or fund development?
Yes — email sponsor@teachermagic.org. We're open to conversations about school/district sponsorship for specific feature development.
25 What if an AI provider changes their UI?
We update the extension to match. The dispatch mechanism is maintained; that's the main ongoing work.
26 Who is Jim Tyler?
The Director of Technology who built this. Microsoft MVP for PowerShell and Azure, author of PowerShell for Systems Engineers, working at a 3,900-student Michigan public district. See /mission for the backstory.
27 How often is it updated?
New prompts and locale data land about monthly. Bug fixes faster when needed.
28 Where can I give feedback?
Email feedback@teachermagic.org. Real humans read it.
29 Where do I report a bug?
Same email: feedback@teachermagic.org. Include browser version, what you did, and what happened.
30 Is the code open source?
Parts of it. The TeacherMagic extension is currently source-available for review. Public GitHub repo is planned.
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