Staying True to Ourselves While Teaching with AI

Hey, Teachers!

     Aside from words that carry positive connotations surrounding the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and programs in our teaching and learning spaces, one word might also be in the mix: overwhelm. In the last few years, teachers have been working diligently to determine how to integrate AI effectively into teaching and learning, and not all of us feel or think the same way. Some teachers may see this as an infusion of technological opportunity, a necessity that's beneficial. Some teachers may see AI as an intrusion. And some of us may be somewhere in the middle related to teacher self-image and mindset, or our teacher professional identity, and the motivation to learn new procedural knowledge that may or may not seem valuable.

     So, how do we stay true to ourselves in this process?

     AI literacy is definitely a new version of digital literacy, and if you've been in the teaching trenches as long as I have, learning new tech (that has carried pushback at every juncture) has always been part of the job. It's just looked different decade to decade. In the 1990s, my colleagues were initiating a "paperless classroom". In the early 2000s, electronic research was on the rise. We've moved from chalkboards to whiteboards, digital learning emphases have grown in in-person settings, we've brought in tech tools and programs to enhance every curriculum, we've been navigating student use of cell phones in the learning space, we've planned lessons to include school-owned digital devices and digital programs for individual student use, students have increasingly enrolled in online courses, and the list goes on.

     We're grappling with the understanding that AI isn't going anywhere, and once again, we have to "embrace the new" and figure out how to retain basic tenets of our personal teaching philosophies that govern decision-making in our classrooms whether online, in-person, or a hybrid instructional model. Professional development (PD) trainings and meetings often center on the "AI question"...and additional teacher expectations. Some teachers may be enthusiastic about these educational landscape shifts and demands. Some teachers may question the time they have to invest in learning the tools and programs, in promoting teacher and student self-efficacy, and in illuminating ethical accountability in using those tools and programs. Other teachers may remain coarsely or bitterly tolerant of what we're being asked to do with AI. We might ask ourselves:

*How will students think for themselves?

*Will PD ever focus on other topics again?

*How do I discern authentic student inquiry, voice, and productivity from machine-generated output?

*What does AI mean for our individuality?

*Will AI improve or hinder student growth in my class(es)?

*How will AI create more obstacles for me as a teacher, instead of being helpful in augmenting teaching and learning?

*How do we embrace AI (both the positives and negatives), to find common ground in our shared beliefs and values as educators?

*How do I mitigate my fears of using AI or a personal view of AI that is cautious and apprehensive due to any number of reasons?

*How do I proceed with integrating AI literacy into teaching and learning when I lack certain tools, training, or infrastructure to support those goals?

      This is not an exhaustive list of concerns, and the reality that we are living in a time when it feels like wherever we are, AI is there too, is challenging. How do we remain radiant in the glow of our own ideals while changing how we define some of our teaching roles in this new AI reality? This reality impacts us personally, professionally, socially, culturally, and interpersonally, to say the least, and puts pressure on us to make decisions that continue to support and redefine best practices. We might also be asking:

*How are we ensuring that students are using AI ethically and to support learning? What does that mean individually and collectively?

*How are we bridging the gap between what we may believe and value as technologically important in contrast to new teacher performance expectations we may or may not have chosen?

*Who is creating the roadmap for retaining balance in our teaching efforts?

     Staying true to ourselves is about knowing who we are as educators (cultivating a strong teacher self-image), staying centered, and staying visionary about what is possible with our students. Within that vision, we must continue to emphasize building strong teacher-student relationships. Building strong teacher-student relationships is at the forefront of excellent teaching aside from technological advancements. Knowing what our students need and how we can help guide their thinking to get there, is at the crux of our teaching talents, in addition to the careful and clever rollout of our unique approaches to the curriculum that hopefully, ignites student buy-in.

      Staying true to ourselves while teaching with AI is about retaining what we know underscores good teaching. That definition is individual, but collectively, we might agree that good teaching is a safe learning environment. Good teaching is a teacher who visibly cares. Good teaching is a class that is on-task. Good teaching is organization, planning, and demonstration of positive student learning outcomes. Good teaching is the surprise "thank you" years later from a student whose life you positively influenced, and had no idea.

     AI is moving rapidly. It's not new. It's just beaming and booming in many ways, faster than teachers may have anticipated. We can approach this newness the same way we've approached what was new and unfamiliar in the past: in steps. First, we must define what the goals are. Second, we must determine a viable avenue for accomplishing those goals. Third, we must remain the human beings in charge of instruction and the evolution of classroom events.

     Our students are often "one step ahead" of us digitally. It's part of being in younger generations. And it's no mystery that technological advancements have certainly impacted students negatively including excessive screen time, cyberbullying, and increased anxiety and depression. We might worry about the results of using AI tools and programs in our teaching and learning spaces, and what that means for the long haul.

     And that's why self-reflection and inquiry into our own teacher beliefs and values should be at the heart of our classroom efforts. There are many unanswered questions surrounding the use of AI in teaching and learning. Each month brings a new teaching challenge in and outside of teaching with AI because that's the nature of the job. Teachers are tasked with making best decisions and answering questions every hour of every day. Staying true to ourselves related to teaching with AI can mean acknowledging how we feel and what we think while remaining compliant with new policies and mandates at our school sites. Where we have creative influence, where we have the opportunity to direct how we'll use AI tools and programs (or if we'll use them at all) with students, is where we can continue harnessing stewardship as teachers.

     Staying true to ourselves is not about pushback, defiance, or even total immersion into these new technological demands of the current educational landscape. It's about knowing what's best for students, implementing best practices, and ensuring that students articulate what they are learning and why. Using AI tools and programs without real direction or purpose seems pointless. And we should also consider that if we don't address teaching and learning with AI at all, how we might not be preparing students fully for today's workforce.

     To me, teaching with AI is like teaching with anything else. We are the ones who continue to provide opportunities for structure, clarity, and accountability in our classrooms. Yes, the overwhelm is real at times. And the time factor is also an ongoing challenge. If we can develop a real plan for integrating specific AI tools and programs that make sense for us in our individual classrooms, align with school policies and overarching departmental or grade level goals, and actually move the needle for students in meaningful ways, perhaps, the overwhelm will begin to dissipate.

     Staying true to ourselves is not about compromising our integrity, rather, being willing to grow and change without giving up what we value most as teachers. We can transform professional identity related to teaching with AI. Education today necessitates not only our flexibility but our willingness to redefine what we believe and value about ourselves as practitioners, especially when we face new procedural knowledge that might feel overwhelming both for us and for students.