Sept. 7, 2025: Teachers Are Artists

 I absolutely love what I do.  And one of the best things about my career is that I get to see artists in action- every, single, day! I am up close to the million little tiny miracles and moments of magic that happen in schools and classrooms every single day. 

The artists to whom I am referring are teachers!

There was recently a news report about a school district that was implementing new AI technology and students were going to be taught by computer-generated virtual “teachers”.  No actual teacher was going to be involved in their instruction.

While there are certainly many benefits to these technological advances, and this may help to solve the teacher shortage, the fact remains that no amount of AI can work the magic that a great teacher can.  The problem is that these approaches continue to put teachers in the category of laborer.  Someone who works with their hands and physically performs routine and predictable tasks.  Yes, there is a great deal of our work that falls into that category.  Setting up our classrooms. Taking attendance.  Getting students to lunch or dismissal.  Managing the logistics of 20 humans in a common space. Organizing papers and scoring test.  The list goes on.

But that is not all there is to a teacher’s work.

Teachers also work with their heads.  They must create lesson plans, understand pedagogy, master content, assess learning, apply child development theory, and make accommodations and differentiations for all of the learners they service.  Every single day, they are making millions of tiny decisions and adjustments to meet the varying needs of individual students.  This, according to Sir Francis of Assisi, makes them craftsman.  And yes, much of this can also be accomplished through AI technology.

But the true magic of teaching happens when teachers pour their hearts into their work.  When they bond with their students, build a community within their classroom walls, and actually create a school family for their learners.

Relationships are a critical part of learning, especially for young learners, and those relationships are the foundation of the critical work that teachers do.  The evidence of these connections is in the hugs, the smiles, the high fives, the inside jokes, and the quiet presence of having the teacher nearby.

It is this work of the heart that produces the miracles. These miracles may often go unnoticed to outsiders. The Kindergartner who finally does not deal with frustration by knocking over chairs.  The shy and quiet third grader who finally feels safe enough to ask their teacher for help.  The fifth grader who turns in homework for the first time. The student whose family is undergoing a stressful crisis, still coming to school each day seeking the quiet support of their teacher.

This is the part of teaching that AI cannot do. 

And this, according to Saint Francis of Assisi, makes teachers artists.

“If you work with your hands, you’re a laborer.If you work with your hands and your mind, you’re a craftsman.If you work with your hands and your mind and your heart, you’re an artist.”—Saint Francis of Assisi