Do it for your Students.
Change fatigue.
That’s exactly what I saw in his face.
Exasperated. Frustrated. Cynical.
And you know what? He had every right to be.
As I got further into our discussion, I started to understand why Clyde was not excited about AI.
“We changed learning management systems 3 times in the last 3 years. We moved from Google to Microsoft, and then we updated to continuous reporting. Can’t we just catch our breath?”
Clyde met AI as an unwelcome distraction, and, in the last 12 months, I’ve spoken to 100s of teachers like him.
By the end of our two-hour session, Clyde was a certified AI-enthusiast. He left with a long list of things he wanted to try, and every trace of his pessimism had vanished.
Let me show you what changed his mind.
Getting back to why.
The first thing I spoke to Clyde about was why he became a teacher.
His staunch demeanour gave way to a warm smile as he told me about the difference his Grade 6 teacher made in his life, and how that inspired him to become a teacher.
“I just want to improve the lives of these kids.”
“Are you open to exploring things that may help improve their learning?” I asked.
“Of course.”
Game on.
In getting back to why, Clyde shifted to an open posture.
Getting clear on how.
When talking about AI in education, details matter.
Some teachers fear it means:
Infinite student screen time
Using hundreds of different apps
Handing students’ education over to tech giants
Releasing students into an unmonitored internet space
Embracing things like the metaverse or cryptocurrency
The truth is, AI can completely change your classroom without students ever using a device.
I showed Clyde simple prompts for
Text differentiation
Quiz generation
Rubric creation
These were all practices that Clyde could complete to fast track his planning and tailor the learning to his diverse learners.
As the expert, he could verify answers and quality control the output.
He only had to use materials he was happy with.
He was still in control.
He loved this.
There’s change and there’s change.
I managed to catch Clyde as he was leaving the auditorium after our session.
“How do you feel about AI now? Are you still frustrated by all the change?”
“Well”, he replied, “there’s change and there’s change”.
He’s exactly right.
Arbitrary change - change for the sake of change - change that’s not clearly connected to a “why” - leads to change fatigue and frustration.
Good change - change that’s deeply connected to our “why” - leads to flourishing.
Good change is the change that benefits our students.
And, with the right approach, AI can be good change.
If you want to talk more about how AI can be a good change at your school, book a meeting with me here.
Happy Teaching!
Paul Matthews
