Tex is a popular school novel, which means chatbots have seen plenty of text about it and students know it. A student who asks an AI tool for an essay on Mace and the horse can receive something plausible in seconds. Teachers need a clear policy that explains what is allowed, why it matters, and how work will be assessed.

Start by deciding what role, if any, AI will play in your assignment. You might allow it for brainstorming or checking grammar but not for drafting, or you might prohibit it entirely for certain tasks. Whatever you choose, state the policy in plain language and give examples of acceptable and unacceptable use so that students do not have to guess.

Explain the reasons behind the policy. Students are more likely to follow rules when they understand that the essay is meant to build their own ability to analyze a text and support an argument. Framing the policy around learning, not just punishment, helps shift the conversation from avoiding detection to developing real skills.

Write the Policy in Specific Terms

Ambiguity creates problems. A rule that says do not use AI inappropriately leaves too much room for interpretation, while a rule that says you may use AI to generate questions about the novel but not to write sentences in your essay is clear. Include what students should do if they are unsure, such as asking before submitting.

• State which tasks allow AI support and which do not
• Require students to disclose any AI use and how they used it
• Explain that all quotations and evidence must come from the student's own reading
• Describe how drafts, process notes, or in-class writing will be used to verify work
• Outline the consequences for undisclosed or prohibited use

Design Assignments That Show Student Thinking

Assignments can be designed to make student thinking visible. Requiring a thesis checkpoint, an annotated set of quotations, and a short in-class paragraph on the same topic gives you several points of comparison. If the final essay is far beyond the quality of these earlier pieces, you have a reasonable basis for a conversation with the student.

Prompts that rely on specific details from class discussion also make it harder to outsource the work. Asking students to connect a scene to something discussed in your classroom, or to use a quotation chosen from a limited set, ties the essay to your teaching. These choices make the assignment meaningful and reduce the usefulness of generic generated text.

Handle Suspicions Fairly

Detection tools are not perfectly reliable, and accusing a student on the basis of a score alone can be unfair and damaging. A better approach is to talk with the student about their process, ask them to explain their argument, and look at drafts or notes. A conversation often reveals quickly whether the student understands the work they submitted.

Follow your school's policies on academic integrity and document the steps you take. Keep the tone respectful and focused on understanding what happened, particularly for first incidents. Students make mistakes about technology rules, and a clear process helps you respond consistently and fairly to every case.

Use AI Responsibly as a Teacher

Teachers can model responsible use by being transparent about how they use technology in their own work. If you use rubric-based software to help provide feedback on drafts, tell students what it does and what it does not do. This openness builds trust and shows that AI can be a tool for learning when used with clear purposes and boundaries.

Review your policy at the beginning of each unit, since technology and student habits change quickly. Ask students for input about what is confusing or unrealistic, and adjust accordingly. A policy that is clear, reasonable, and regularly revisited is more likely to be followed and more likely to protect the integrity of the work students submit about novels like Tex.