John Dolman delves into the key aspects of teaching that cannot be done by AI and how to work with AI to benefit teachers as well as students
AI in education is an incredibly charged subject—perhaps as charged as any industrial revolution that came before it. As someone who grew up around northern mining communities and whose family all came from these communities, I vividly recall the social divisions and raw emotions that accompanied the dramatic industrial changes of the 1980s: the miners' strikes, the closing of the pits, the upheaval of entire communities.
There are some parallels to our current situation. Just as mining wasn't merely an occupation but an identity woven into the fabric of communities—we still speak of 'mining villages' and celebrate miners' parades—teaching isn't simply a job. It's a fundamental part of who we are as educators.
Whilst the digital industrial revolution won’t wreak damage to the teaching profession at the scale the closing of the pits did to the miners, it does, nevertheless pose us a significant challenge.
The Identity Crisis at the Heart of Educational Change
"This emotional reaction highlights a critical point: for many educators, teaching is an intrinsic part of their identity."
Our professional identities and personal sense of self are intrinsically interlinked. This connection is what makes AI in education such an emotionally sensitive topic for teachers. Setting aside complex debates about AI's benefits (and let's be honest—AI doesn't care about these debates; it's already here), we need to understand why the response to AI often runs so deep.
For many educators, teaching isn't just a way to pay the bills—it's a vocation, a calling, a way of life. When you ask teachers who they are, their profession usually leads their response. This profound personal connection to professional identity makes any technological disruption feel inherently personal.
This goes a long way to explaining much of the heat in the debate around AI in education and some of the rather emotive comments we see countering posts that advocate for positive (even cautiously positive) approaches to AI in schools. This emotional reaction highlights a critical point: for many educators, teaching is an intrinsic part of their identity.
Understanding Professional Identity
The relationship between identity and professional change follows a simple connection: the closer your job is to your personal identity, the more resistant you'll be to externally imposed change. Many of us see teaching as something far more significant than 'just a job'.
For many service based occupations, including teaching, the work transcends the boundaries between the personal and the professional. It's about developing young minds, shaping perceptions, building capabilities—it's about something bigger than ourselves.
The AI Challenge to Teacher Identity
"These intrinsically human aspects of teaching aren't threatened by AI."
Teachers are often placed in the role of the knowledge bearers, subject experts who guide their students through complex learning journeys. When AI suggests it can replicate aspects of this role, such as knowledge transfer, assessment and grading, it challenges our fundamental understanding of what it means to be a teacher.
However, this challenge might actually help us refocus on what truly matters in education. Teachers are experts—not just in holding knowledge, but in:
- Building meaningful relationships
- Understanding the psychology of learning
- Developing effective pedagogical approaches
- Managing complex classroom dynamics
- Engaging students with challenging content
- Creating supportive learning environments
These intrinsically human aspects of teaching aren't threatened by AI. While we might eventually see pedagogically intelligent chatbots designed to support learning, the core elements of teaching—the human connection, the ability to inspire and guide, and the emotional intelligence which underpins it—remain irreplaceable.
Moving Forward: Leading Through Change
As educational leaders navigating this transformation, we must recognise that scepticism, caution, and even strong resistance are reasonable responses to such fundamental change. When something threatens to reshape a core aspect of professional identity, resistance isn't just natural—it's healthy.
The path forward isn't about dismissing these concerns or forcing rapid adoption. Instead, we need to:
- Acknowledge the emotional impact of technological change
- Create space for professional identity evolution
- Support teachers in redefining their roles (which might include focusing more on personalised learning or mentoring)
- Focus on enhancing rather than replacing human capabilities
- Celebrate the uniquely human aspects of teaching
- Embracing Evolution While Honouring Identity
The future of teaching isn't about choosing between human expertise and artificial intelligence, this fundamental technology is here and it’s staying, and we must find a way to make the most of the opportunities it presents. It's about finding ways to enhance our professional capabilities while maintaining our essential identity as educators. As we navigate this transformation, we must remember that teaching will always be fundamentally human, even as the tools we use continue to evolve.
The key lies in shifting our perspective from seeing AI as a threat to viewing it as a tool that can help us focus more deeply on what truly matters: the human connections and transformative relationships that make teaching such a profound and meaningful vocation.
I remain optimistic about the capacity AI has to create positive change in the education sector, but I understand that others do not feel the same. However, I would encourage a constructive dialogue, not simple denial or emotive ad hominem attacks on whoever speaks positively about the changes. As educators we all want the same thing, a better dialogue is more likely to bring about a more positive outcome.
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