Why Teachers Don’t Need to Change Their Workflow: A Smarter Way to Give Feedback

Isn't it frustrating that teaching is already tough, and now they have to deal with flashy new tech demanding they completely change their approach? I feel your pain!

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a teacher. So you might be thinking, “How can you possibly understand our struggle?” Well, here’s the deal: I’ve had some teachers tell me that we messed up on our first product release. Why? We asked them to change their workflow, and even if our writing assessment tool is really useful, that shift just took the wind out of their sails.

So yeah, I feel your pain for two reasons: 1) I’ve heard it straight from the horse’s mouth, and 2) I’ve made that mistake and learned the hard way.

So, when we set out to help teachers assess pupils' writing, we have one rule: don’t mess with their workflow.

Teachers already have their methods. They’ve got lesson plans, assessment strategies, and years of experience built into their day-to-day. So why should a new bit of technology come along and tell them to change everything?

Spoiler alert: It shouldn’t.

And that's exactly why we've rolled out our 'dictating' feature. It's all about simplifying things, not complicating them.

Don't get me wrong, some teachers are fans of our old method (the whole uploading a photo of their pupils' work), but let's be honest: a good chunk of teachers don’t want to shake up their routine. So, here’s the thing that you can do now: you can either upload a photo of a piece of writing, and Air will magically transform it into text and whip up feedback, or—wait for it—you can read the pupil's work directly into Air. No jumping through hoops, no unnecessary steps.

When you're assessing work you’re already reading your pupils' writing anyway, right? Keep doing that!

So now, while you’re reading, our system is working behind the scenes, turning your voice into text. From there, it’ll generate feedback you can share with your pupils—helping them improve without the agony of scribbling endless notes. It’s like having a feedback-writing assistant on speed dial, but without the school needing to find that hard-to-reach budget for that elusive extra help!

Time Is Everything (And Here’s How You Get It Back)

Look, no one needs reminding that time is the most valuable thing you’ve got as a teacher. And assessing writing working and producing feedback? It’s a massive time-sink. But that feedback is also one of the most important things you do for your pupils. It’s the golden ticket to helping them improve, and there’s no shortcut to quality feedback—or so you’d think.

That’s where we come in. Our dictating feature lets you do the work you already do—read, assess, repeat—but with a bit of magic on the side. It spits out detailed, tailored feedback in a lot less time than it would take you to find a pen that works.

And here’s the main thing: you’re still in control. The tool just does the boring bits for you, saving you from endless scribbling, while your pupils get the kind of feedback that pushes them to do better next time. You win, they win, everyone’s happy.

It’s Not About Changing the Game. It’s About Playing It Smarter.

We’ve all seen those tech solutions that show up and demand everyone change the way they work, like they’re doing us a favour. That’s not our style. We get it—teachers don’t need to be told how to do their jobs. What they need is support, smart support, that fits into what they’re already doing.

That’s why our approach isn’t about revolutionising how teachers teach. It’s about making sure that, in the race to give kids the best possible education, we’re handing teachers a few more tools to help them cross the finish line without collapsing from exhaustion.

At the end of the day, it’s simple: teachers should focus on teaching. And if we can help them do that better, faster, and with less stress, that’s a win for everyone.