Brickfield Education Labs Teaching with AI
Module 5 of 11
Module 4 — Understanding the Tools

Memory and Context

Why the AI seems to "forget" you — and how each tool handles this differently.

One of the most confusing things about AI tools is memory. You might have a useful conversation with Claude on Monday, then come back on Tuesday and it has no idea who you are. This is not a bug — it is by design. Understanding how memory works will save you a lot of frustration.

The context window

Think of the AI's memory like a whiteboard. Each conversation starts with a blank whiteboard. As you chat, the conversation fills it up. The AI can see everything on the whiteboard — but when the session ends, the whiteboard is wiped. Nothing carries over to the next session.

The technical term for this whiteboard is the "context window" — the amount of text the model can see at once during a conversation.

The diagram below shows how a single conversation fills the context window.

You say: I am a secondary school teacher. I teach History to Junior Cycle students...
AI replies: Response added to context. The window is now fuller.
You say: Write me a support email about our accessibility plugin...
AI uses: All previous messages to generate a contextual, relevant response. ✓
Next day: New conversation — blank whiteboard. No memory of previous session. ✗

How each tool handles memory

Each AI product has its own approach to persisting information beyond a single conversation. Select a tool below to see what it offers.

ChatGPT memory

ChatGPT (Plus and Team plans) includes a Memory feature. When switched on, ChatGPT notes facts like your job, preferences, and past context, then recalls them in future conversations.

Where to find it: Settings → Personalisation → Memory. You can view, delete, or switch off individual memories at any time.

Also useful: Custom Instructions, found under Settings → Personalisation. This is a text field where you describe yourself and how you want ChatGPT to respond. These instructions apply to every new conversation automatically.

"I am a secondary school teacher in Ireland. I teach English and History to Junior Cycle and Leaving Certificate students. I want responses that are practical and ready to use in class. Avoid academic jargon. Keep explanations clear and concise."

Gemini memory and Gems

Gemini uses Gems — custom AI personas you configure with specific instructions and a defined purpose. Think of a Gem as a specialist version of Gemini for a particular task or role.

Where to find it: In Gemini at gemini.google.com, look for Gems in the left sidebar. You can create your own or use Google's pre-built Gems.

Gemini can also access your Google Workspace data — Gmail, Drive, and Calendar — through Extensions. This allows it to reference your actual emails and documents. Extensions must be enabled deliberately in settings.

"You are a professional writing assistant for the Brickfield sales team. Our audience is university IT administrators and accessibility leads. Always be professional, warm, and free of jargon."

Claude memory and Projects

Claude uses Projects to provide persistent memory within a defined workspace. A Project stores custom instructions, uploaded files, and a shared conversation history — all visible to Claude throughout every conversation in that Project.

Where to find it: In Claude.ai, select Projects from the left sidebar. Create a Project, add a custom system prompt, and upload relevant documents such as knowledge bases or style guides.

Claude also has a standalone Memory feature that notes facts about you across conversations, similar to ChatGPT's Memory.

"You are assisting the Brickfield marketing team. Brickfield Education Labs is an Irish edtech company building accessibility tools for Moodle. Our tone is professional but approachable. We serve universities, colleges, and corporate learning teams."

Microsoft Copilot and organisational context

Microsoft 365 Copilot is deeply integrated with your organisation's Microsoft 365 data. It can access emails, Teams chats, SharePoint files, meeting recordings, and calendar entries — within your organisation's permissions boundary.

When you use Copilot in Teams, it knows the context of your current meeting. In Outlook, it knows the email thread. In Word, it knows your document. This contextual integration is Copilot's biggest differentiator from standalone AI tools.

Note for teachers: Once the team has Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses, Copilot will be able to search across SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams meetings — making it ideal for finding customer-related information across the organisation.

Knowledge check

You want Claude to always know you work as a teacher and to write in a professional but warm tone. What is the best approach?