Teachers Need Time, Space, and Support to Harness AI's Potential

The Big Insight of the Summer

As we embark on the new school year, I’d like to recap some insights we’ve arrived at over the summer.

Here is the big one:

While AI continues to evolve—with new models emerging and multimodal systems improving—the raw intelligence of these systems is advancing far more gradually than the hype suggests.

This gradual progression is a gift to the education community, giving us the time to thoughtfully integrate AI into our schools without being swept up in the frenzy of rapid technological change. Instead of reacting hastily, we have the opportunity to be intentional, building an AI-responsive education that enhances, rather than disrupts, our teaching and learning environments.

This realization reshaped my perspective on the urgency of AI adoption in education. Yes, the challenges are real—AI is encroaching on traditional tools, and there are significant concerns about privacy and data security. But we don’t need to rush. We have the time to develop sustainable, life-affirming ways to engage with AI that prioritize both the human elements of education and the innovations AI can offer. The opportunity to reshape education is within reach—if we prioritize it.

Other Big Summer Insights from Educating AI

1. The Commitment of Big AI Tech: The major AI companies are heavily invested in developing more immersive, persuasive, and engaging systems. However, genuine educational applications are still rare, as illustrated by tools like Google's NotebookLM. Educators and students need support to navigate the limitations and biases inherent in these technologies.
2. AI Tools vs. AI Agents: Traditional distinctions between AI tools and agents often hinge on the degree of autonomy an AI application exhibits. Yet, Generative AI is showing us that much of this distinction is about perception. For example, ChatGPT’s basic one-shot prompting and simple prompt windows give users a sense of the AI’s agency. More complex prompting and nuanced interactivity enhance this experience even further, blurring the lines between "tool" and "agent."

AI Agents Are Really AI Tools

Navigating the Slipstream: AI’s Shift from Tool to Agent

The Paradox of AI Agency: How Siri-GPT Undermines User Control

1. Sustainable AI Integration: Using AI purely for efficiency can be draining and ultimately unsustainable. As we integrate AI into our daily lives, we must find ways to engage with these tools that are more sustainable and life-affirming. This includes taking breaks, reading to refuel, writing outside the confines of the prompt window, and recognizing the limitations of AI systems. By adopting a pragmatic approach, we can better balance what we reasonably accomplish with AI and preserve our energy and creativity.

What Is AI Doing to My Brain?

1. AI’s Implicit Values in Writing: In simple prompt cycles, AI systems tend to default to implicit values about what constitutes "good" writing—values largely shaped by SEO-optimized text from their training data. When using AI as an editing tool, we must consciously push it beyond its basic training, especially when asking our students to do the same. We should challenge AI’s default assumptions to maintain authentic expression in writing.

The Path Forward

While Ethan Mollick faces his share of critics among AI pragmatists these days, his core thesis about expertise and education remains profoundly relevant. AI systems have decreased the efficacy of traditional tools (tests, quizzes, essays) that educators rely on to assess student skills—tools that have long been essential in guiding students from novice to expert.

In Co-Intelligence, Mollick’s only solution to this conundrum comes in form of a single sentence reference to AI-locked computers and in-class essays in order to safeguard the learning process. Fortunately, Mollick isn’t a K-12 teacher. But if we are to read Mollick a little more beneficently—not getting hung up in this slip of imagination—we see him throughout his sections on education calling teachers to reinvent instructional methods and systems of assessment in the age of AI.

Notably this is this is the precise work that AI pragmatists like Mike Kentz , Jason Gulya , Michael Woudenberg , Doan Winkel , Dan Meyer , Alicia Bankhofer, Martha Nichols, Terry underwood, and Rob Nelson have devoted extensive time and space to developing on Substack and through other media.

With the slower pace of AI's development, we have time to address these concerns thoughtfully. We can build educational systems that take advantage of AI’s strengths without compromising our students’ security or the values that are core to our teaching. The key is to develop sustainable workflows and collaborative spaces where educators, administrators, and researchers can come together to reshape education for the better.

Creating Time and Space for Thoughtful AI Integration

But let’s try to get a little more concrete. Not all time and space is equal. What would be some of the hallmarks of time and space used effectively?

The success of AI integration in education hinges on creating the time and space for teachers to explore, reflect, and adapt. This involves building supportive communities where educators can interact with AI tools in meaningful ways—ways that prioritize balance, reflection, and practicality over rapid adoption and hype. These spaces should be built around the needs of teachers, offering flexibility while also fostering accountability and sustained change.

Imagine a community where real-world applications of AI are emphasized, not as replacements for human interaction, but as enhancements to the work educators are already doing. In this environment, teachers are empowered to take ownership of their professional growth, discovering, implementing, and sharing AI strategies that work for them. It’s about raising both student and teacher agency—creating dynamic learning environments that benefit the entire school community.

To ensure this change takes root, structured implementation tools—such as lesson demonstrations, reflective observation calendars, and collaborative feedback—can help guide the transition. The goal is long-term impact, not just a temporary shift. By embedding self-reflection and practical application into the process, teachers can experience real, sustainable growth in their use of AI.

This time and space are not just aspirational; they’re necessary. If we can create environments where teachers have the freedom to engage with AI in a thoughtful, balanced, and practical way, we will not only succeed in integrating AI into education but in doing so, we will also preserve the human touch that remains central to teaching and learning.

In the upcoming series of articles, I will outline a comprehensive training program for educators, drawing from my classroom experience, workshops and trainings with schools and teachers, extensive research into best practices, and insights from collaborating with experts in the field.

Nick Potkalitsky, Ph.D.

Check out some of my favorite Substacks:

Terry Underwood’s Learning to Read, Reading to Learn: The most penetrating investigation of the intersections between compositional theory, literacy studies, and AI on the internet!!!

Suzi’s When Life Gives You AI: An cutting-edge exploration of the intersection among computer science, neuroscience, and philosophy

Alejandro Piad Morffis’s Mostly Harmless Ideas: Unmatched investigations into coding, machine learning, computational theory, and practical AI applications

Michael Woudenberg’s Polymathic Being: Polymathic wisdom brought to you every Sunday morning with your first cup of coffee

Rob Nelson’s AI Log: Incredibly deep and insightful essay about AI’s impact on higher ed, society, and culture.

Michael Spencer’s AI Supremacy: The most comprehensive and current analysis of AI news and trends, featuring numerous intriguing guest posts

Daniel Bashir’s The Gradient Podcast: The top interviews with leading AI experts, researchers, developers, and linguists.

Daniel Nest’s Why Try AI?: The most amazing updates on AI tools and techniques

Riccardo Vocca’s The Intelligent Friend: An intriguing examination of the diverse ways AI is transforming our lives and the world around us.

Jason Gulya’s The AI Edventure: An important exploration of cutting edge innovations in AI-responsive curriculum and pedagogy.