Automating Classroom Workflows with Google
This project started with a simple need: my wife, a high school science teacher working with students on the autism spectrum, wanted to cut down on repetitive grading tasks so she could focus more on teaching.
The Process
I built a low-code automation using Google Apps Script and Google Workspace tools. The setup worked like this:
- Trigger: When an email arrived, the script automatically detected it.
- Parser: The email body was sent to Google's Gemini for feedback and a "grading suggestion"
- Response: Based on the rules we wrote, the system would use the Gemini API to send back a reply as the CEO of Lyell Space Aeronautics (a fake company), providing the students with feedback on their notes.
This gave her a reliable “virtual assistant” that handled routine tasks without requiring a full software system.
Privacy and Student Safety
Because this solution involved potentially sensitive information, protecting student privacy was a priority:
- No personal student data was stored or given to the AI.
- All automation ran inside Google Workspace, so data never left a secure, access-controlled environment.
- Any identifiers (like names or emails) were stripped or replaced with anonymized codes in logs and sheets.
- The system was designed so my wife remained the only person with access to the underlying data.
What’s Next
In the coming weeks, I'll be reporting on how well initial testing goes and get feedback on whether our solution helped to automate the grading process and gave the students a sense of accountability in their notetaking.
This project reminded me that sometimes the best solutions aren’t complicated—they’re just thoughtful, repeatable workflows that remove friction while respecting privacy.