Throughout my career in education, I’ve witnessed numerous technological advancements that were initially viewed as potential threats to the teaching profession. From video players to YouTube, these innovations never replaced teachers but instead became valuable tools in our classrooms and beyond. Today, I feel that we face a similar situation with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.
Like many educators, my journey with AI began with hesitation and failed attempts. However, persistence and learning from others eventually led me to integrate AI into my daily routine, both professionally and personally.
In my role as a deputy principal, AI has become an invaluable assistant, helping me navigate mundane tasks efficiently and allowing me to focus on what truly matters: supporting school staff, students, and parents. While AI won’t replace the complex decision-making required for tasks like timetabling or administrative department returns, it has proven incredibly useful for me in other areas.
One early example of AI’s utility was generating random locker codes for first-year students. What may have taken significant time manually was accomplished in seconds, freeing me to attend to more pressing matters. Of course this could have been completed in Excel too but the speed at which AI did it meant that it was another task of my ever increasing ‘to-do list’ on that day.
More recently, AI has streamlined our enrolment process. During our annual open night, we collect email addresses from prospective parents. AI assisted me in crafting a series of follow-up emails, from initial thank-you notes to reminders about our experience afternoons and application deadlines. This process, which previously consumed hours (because I procrastinate about creating emails), now takes mere minutes with AI’s help.
As educators, our role extends beyond imparting knowledge. We are facilitators of learning, key players in emotional support systems, and guides preparing students for their futures. AI doesn’t replace these crucial aspects of our profession. Instead, it enhances our ability to fulfil these roles by handling time-consuming tasks efficiently.
For me, embracing AI in education does not mean relinquishing my responsibility as an educator. Rather, it allows me to focus on what I do best: nurturing young minds, fostering emotional intelligence, and preparing students for the challenges ahead. As we continue to explore AI’s potential in education, we must remember that technology is a tool to augment, not replace, the irreplaceable human element in teaching, leadership and management.