Being a live online tutor myself, the recent development and expansion of AI into the live classroom is a huge and ongoing conversation. There is a lot of talk about how AI will inevitably replace many educators, especially in the classroom. For myself, I don’t see a loss of the live educator as much as I see a necessary transition regarding their roles. More than ever, as students are increasingly online, real and human contact with their educators is more essential than ever. Especially regarding tutors and coaches, students need someone they can talk to, discuss their assignments with, and get helpful and honest feedback. As we move to more AI in the classroom, I feel confident that the live instructor is going to be more important than ever. However, with all of the chatter and concern around the inevitable loss of jobs, I wanted to read the research for myself to see if the facts support my hypothesis.

            My paper on the importance of the live instructor in the classroom focuses on three main arguments. One, students need instruction that focuses on their individual needs. AI can be used to assist with specific subject instruction, but educators will always be needed to work with students on the parts of their studies that require individual discussion and attention. Two, real relationships are more important than ever as students spend more and more time online, whether for fun or for their education. It is imperative that they have real conversations where they can discuss their needs, concerns, failures, and successes.

            Everyone needs guidance at some point in their lives, no matter their age or skill level. For students, it is especially important that they have people in their lives that they feel comfortable enough with to ask for advice, direction, or guidance. And finally, with the rapid onset of AI, students need to be fully prepared to enter a world that is becoming more and more automated. This preparation requires a wide range of skills, like time management, excellent communication, the development and expression of autonomous creativity, and a very broad range of technical computer skills. Individual components can be taught by AI, but ensuring each student has all of the skills they need to enter into the workforce of their choice is something that requires personalized attention, guidance, and instruction.

            My research for this paper uncovered a lot of fear around allowing AI into the classroom: educators are worried they will lose their jobs, but they are also worried about the successful education of their students. On the other hand, I also learned that AI could alleviate many of our mundane and boring jobs, which could be viewed with more optimism. For example, marking papers, preparing lesson plans, filling out paperwork, and other administrative tasks can easily be done by AI, allowing teachers to focus more of their attention directly on the students. With extra free time available, teachers can focus more on what they do best: creating connection and a sense of belonging, building a positive school and class environment, resolving conflicts, and mentoring and coaching their students.

            From a personal perspective, being an educator myself, I do not want to feel fear or distrust of AI, and I don’t want to spend my time worrying that I won’t have a job in the future. Instead, I choose to focus on the positives that AI will bring to my career. Writing this paper allowed me to release my fears and concerns about AI, and it was one of the most positive experiences of my MAIS journey. Previously, I had allowed the chatter around me to impact how I felt about AI, but I no longer allow the negative conversations into my experience. My research on AI in the classroom has proven to me that I can embrace AI and allow it to enrich my career instead of detracting from it. Instead of worrying that I may lose my job to AI, I choose to focus my attention on building stronger relationships with my students, mentoring and encouraging them, and ensuring they are developing all of the skills they will need for their future university studies and entry into the workforce.