01/28/2026
Recently, Outschool reminded teachers of the importance of disclosing the use of AI in class creation and instruction. This has created some discussion around a) how much AI should be claimed and b) whether or not teachers should using AI to teach in the first place.
As my loyal students and families probably already know, my classes do not - and will not ever - use AI. I do not use AI tools in any way and ignore & disable AI options on the teaching resources I use, such as Google, Canva, Nearpod, etc.
It's true that AI is a helpful tool that saves time and can improve efficiency. In that case, what are your reasons for restricting students from using this helpful tool that also saves them time and allows *them* to be more efficient? If you are using ChatGPT to create or "clean up" class materials you cannot turn around and ban your students from using it to edit and revise their homework.
Personally, I teach only what I am qualified to teach, and subjects that I am passionate about. Since I love every class I teach I find a lot of joy in creating my classes. Yes, it may take more time than it would if I used ChatGPT but I'm not in a rush to create high-quality, custom lesson plans for my students. I specifically chose this career because I value quality over quantity, and because I love every moment I spend doing it.
A writer's voice, tone and even personality are reflected in their writing. I personally like my writing style. It sounds like me, and when I read back what I wrote I recognize it as myself. I think my students do, too. They would know if Ms. Astrid wrote this or had a program do it instead. Even if my writing isn't perfect or polished, I'd rather it be authentically me.
In addition, the ethics of using generative art is a concern for me as an artist and art teacher. Not only does AI art steal and plagiarize true artists, but it devalues the process of art for art's sake. Artists who use AI generators are only robbing themselves of the joy of creativity and the experience in discovering their talent. They forget that for an artist, art is not just about the finished product but the process of creation and self-expression. My students are encouraged to *be* the generator, not *use* one.
Setting an example to my students is important to me. I like to think that they might look up to me and value my instruction. Most of my students are middle & high school kids with VERY strong opinions about AI. They all boycotted and uninstalled Duolingo when they announced that they were using AI. They boo and hiss when they see a business using an AI generated logo or image. They taught me how to type -AI in my Google searches to filter out "the trash", as they say. They cheered at the news that OpenAI is allegedly headed for bankruptcy.
Regardless of how you might feel about AI, you know where *I* stand as an educator. I will never teach something that I don't want to teach and therefore will never be forced to rely on AI to do my job.
