When Generator AI entered the classroom, it promised a revolution. For many teachers, they provided an avalanche of tools instead.
Edtech vendors are competing to integrate AI into all aspects of teaching and learning, while educators are drawing clearer boundaries. AI needs to save time rather than replace their judgment. They want differentiation support, not decision-making. Above all, they want tools that match the values and reality of education.
Tasks, tasks, and other tasks
The most consistent theme among educators is that AI wants to tackle time-consuming, repetitive tasks that do not require human judgment or relationship building. Administrative work and basic educational support are at the top of your wish list.
When needed fun end-of-year activities for freshman students who incorporate Candylands, Gummy Bears and Phonics, Eileen Farmer turned to ChatGpt. “I came up with some great ideas for the game,” says Farmer, who teaches at Francis Wyman Elementary School in Massachusetts. AI provided creative sparks, but farmers bring educational expertise and the knowledge of certain students and make it work.
Others, such as Valentingera, an education technology specialist at the Far San Juan Alamo Independent School District in Texas, say teachers rely on AI to create rubrics, unpack standards, write selection boards and generate parent flyers.
The most promising role of AI may lie in its ability to personalize learning. Platforms like Diffit and Magicschool AI help teachers read material, translate documents, and emphasize vocabulary.
“It's a game changer for differentiation,” says Kim Zajack, a speech and speech pathologist at Norton Public Schools in Massachusetts. “One of the biggest ways AI can help educators is to customize the content to land with students at the level they need. Differentiation takes time. Some AI tools can do that in seconds.”
The possibilities of AI are particularly encouraging for multilingual learners and students with special needs. Teachers from the Burns Hills Ballston Lake Central School District in New York piloted Google's class tools. It transcribs and translates teacher voices in real time, and “it's worth the weight in gold,” says IT assistant director Mike Steinberg.
Let the teacher teach
Even if teachers employ AI tools, they draw clear lines in the sand. One of those lines? relationship.
“At the end, AI can help with things that are redundant and time-consuming, but the relationship between students and teachers isn't,” says Alison Reid, senior director of digital learning at Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina. “What is it doing if you don't use the time saved for meaningful engagement?”
Grading is particularly seen in skepticism. Steinberg says that while some teachers use AI to highlight aspects of student work tailored to rubrics, they do not stop them from assigning grades to AI. “Teachers want guidance, not outsourcing.”
Zajac adds that in special education there is a line that AI should not intersect. “We don't want AI to make decisions about the path of treatment and care. That decision must be clinical.” However, she welcomes AI that can transcribe and analyze anonymized data and flag insights for human reviews.
Perhaps the biggest failure of AI is a tool built without teachers in mind. “When vendors don't understand how schools work and how the different pedagogy involved work, they throw coding into the issues and miss out on Mark and some great opportunities,” Reed says. She praises businesses, including advisory board educators, and encourages them to listen to a variety of practitioners as the work moves forward.
What do you need
“We're a great place to go,” said Chantelle Manahan, technology director for the Metropolitan School District in Steuben County, Indiana.
However, teachers are looking for more refined integration with pedagogical knowledge. Manahan said, “Can I ask the AI to analyze the lesson plans and see if it is using SIOP (Shelter Order Observation Protocol)?
Mark Banecker, an English teacher at North High School in Missouri, is building an AI-driven learning module that guides students through skill building exercises.
“AI can explain meanings, ask students to practice short poems, give words, and ask for meanings,” he says. “With module-based systems, AI acts as mentors and coaches, working with individual students on soft skills that AI is not good at.”
But for many teachers, today's AI either oversimplifies complex educational decisions or registers themselves on the wall with a “safe” yet overly rigid interface.
Human-centered AI
Educators are calling on AI to respect the art of education and to enhance their work.
“How can we connect educational knowledge, technical skills and AI capabilities? We ask Manahan. “AI is not a replacement for art, but it strengthens science and allows teachers to focus on what's really important.”
She sees AI promises as a co-partner, especially in data-rich spaces like personal learning communities. “Can we use AI to look at student data, evaluate interventions, and propose strategies backed by research that may not be on the radar?” she asks.
Tiffany Norton, chief innovation officer for Desert Sands Unified School District in California, agrees that AI must be tailored rather than templates. “We slowly unfolded, starting with the principal and district leader. Teachers want resources specific to the content area, not tools of all sizes.”
At Gwinnett County Schools in Georgia, executive director of education technology, Lisa Watkins reflects the shift. “Our focus is on skills rather than tools. What do you want students to learn? That's the first thing that will be.”
“AI is not going to replace teachers, but it helps you move beyond walled gardens, automate the basics and free up time for things that really matter,” said Bill Bass, innovation coordinator for Missouri's Parkway School District.
