"In a world where AI is evolving and becoming more prevalent, teachers will still serve as the empathetic and critical thinking partner with students and school communities."

"I would not work in a situation where AI did much in relationship to the teaching I do. If it does, I will seek jobs where it is not allowed or is highly restricted. Teaching kids - face to face/ synchronous is the most human part. Reading the student to enable the teacher to present materials in different ways and to find a way that allows the student to best access problem solving and learning skills and content based on their own tableau of neural and social strengths and differences is vital for a teacher to assist students. Overuse of any AI generates individuals who can guide/provide inputs to a system but is extremely negative to survival and competing in a challenging and quickly changing world outside of academia or city skyscrapers for those same individuals. For example: use of AI to answer test or homework questions, on one level, gets students good grades - but for ACT testing, State testing, etc., it leaves them high and dry since there is no mommy AI to answer everything for them reducing their chances of scoring well. On a somewhat deeper level, it will create an individual who can do a number of (mostly computer assisted of course) things but don't know much, certainly not content necessary to allow them to partake meaningfully in their government. On another level, oops, cell phone is out - no GPS! No immediate answers to questions. No Siri or Alexa to entertain them. Unhappy/weakening consequences become statistically more immanent. Finally, if they do survive, the ability to become programmed in a multitude of ways, slowly but surely, by those completely uninterested in their welfare in and of themselves as sentient persons, from bread and circuses level dumbing down entertainment, to having no real ability, often to understand, contribute to or care about the propaganda and memetic wars waging all around them, (which have existed from early history to today's governments, corporations and any other interest group who wish to control someone for some reason). EVERY part of teaching a child should be controlled or managed by a/a set of human and, insofar as is possible, a teacher or set of teachers able to teach in an unbiased fashion. Making work easier is not always positive or desirable. It can be extremely negative and debilitating to learners young and old. AI will, likely, act as a crutch to those who started out strong, making them weaker. That would be a horrible consequence for our children and grandchildren."

"helping students interpret, analyze and synthesize information received and applying that to a variety of situations"

"Helping them navigate the nuance and complexity of thinking and understanding. Teaching them to think, question, and discern."

"Human interaction is critical to the success of any student. You cannot deviate from the human factor as that will be a critical tool in improving student outcomes."

"Human interaction is critical in my role as a teacher."

"Prompt engineering is crucial, as well as ensuring that what is generated is looked at through a critical lens. If it will impact our job security, then please help us to learn the skills necessary to stay current and relevant. I am not sure resonance can be reached through AI - in the way that resonance can be reached in the presence (even virtually) with another being - doesn't have to be human."

"Providing opportunities for collaboration, guiding critical thinking, fostering individual creativity."

"Guiding questions and seeing students as a whole individual."

"Teaching critical thinking"

"Helping students develop their unique voices as writers and critical thinkers"

"Teaching students critical thinking skills and compassion for others."

"The question answers itself. Being human."

"Knowing my students well, giving the human support that they need and to be able to answer their questions."

"Helping students communicate effectively and think critically, building their human intelligence - a combination of cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and moral intellect -"

"The most human part of my work is being able to answer / engage in conversations with students. For instance, students may ask a follow up question to a given concept, and the back and forth and exploration into 'what if' is something that I don't think can be replicated by AI. Teachers / educators can prompt critical thinking and exploration in a way that AI cannot do. Currently, AI will just provide a response to any question and then ask it's own follow-up, so students do not have the opportunity to engage in critical thinking / problem solving. In addition, social-emotional support is also the most human part of my work that absolutely cannot be replicated."

"Every part of my job is human and essential. Developing mechanical skills, building age appropriate critical thinking and cognitive development, improving language acquisition and comprehension, and guiding creativity. Learning is a relational experience."

"Coaching the students on a personal level, relating to them as humans with various experiences. The ability to think critically."

"There are questions that come from students during a lesson that AI cannot always explain taking into account the whole student. Real world examples that draw upon my personal knowledge and experience cannot be generated by AI-at least I hope not."

"The most human part of teaching is being a teacher. In other words, understanding that every has a lot that they bring to the table and learns in, some slightly, others not, different ways. There is no scenario where an AI will be able to overcome the breadth of skills needed to address the needs of students."

"The most human part of my work as a teacher, even in an Ai world, is evaluating the content generated by Ai. For example, we still need to teach people to read critically, to question critically, and respond and think and build off of what we are using Ai for. Ai is a partner, not a substitute for our own thoughts."

"Personal interaction with students. In-person encouragement, tutoring, field trips, etc. Students also need personalized learning. As a social studies teacher, I make sure that objectives are relateable and topic of conversation so that students feel personally involved or sparks an interest. Straight up lecture or reading won't do this. Facilitated debates and socratic discussion are imperative for critical thinking and development that should be led by a teacher and not a bot."

"My ability to interact with the students and guide them towards goals that they are most committed. Providing them a safe environment to discuss both the benefits and potential, observed dangers of AI, the developers, and the impact these tools may have on their own future."

"Creating an ethos and work ethic in the classroom. Anyone can look up anything on the internet, that much has been true for decades. AI has just made it easier, but can it motivate a student to produce authentic work because they're proud of it? Can it help them look competent in a job interview or simple conversation without reading off a screen? Can it turn them into productive, self-reliant, and conscientious humans? That's where we come in. At its core, AI will never be human, thus it can't teach humans to learn resilience from failure, or to experience and savor the joy of hard work come to fruition, or the tenacity of pursuing something because its your passion. The hysteria of generative AI in the classroom is reminiscent of the same hysteria when the internet started to become more popular, when I was in high school. It's a tool with amazing capabilities, but at the end of the day it's just a tool. I don't credit the internet with any success I've had, I thank my teachers for making the lessons I've learned memorable and instilling the pride I have in the work to which I put my name."

"Assistive technology has absolutely transformed lives for people with disabilities: screen readers, speech-to-text tools, mobility aids, and more have opened doors that were once closed. But you're right to point out that when these tools are used without intention or discipline, they can sometimes become crutches rather than bridges. But here's the nuance: the issue isn't the tech itself -it's how it's used. A person with a strong will to learn can use assistive tools to accelerate their growth. Someone without that drive might use the same tools to avoid challenges. So maybe the real question is: how do we design and implement technology in ways that encourage learning, not replace it?"

"The most human part of my work as a teacher is teaching students how to access & experience the deep, interesting, and illuminating ideas in works of Literature, and teaching them to think critically about the world using these texts, and teaching them to express themselves. I do not believe AI can accomplish ANY of these goals."

"Thinking, planning, responding."

"Helping students/people think. Think about their struggles, think about their strengths, think how to leverage their resources, think about their future, think about themselves, think about others. Then, they can plug their thoughts in to AI to get action plans or new ideas. But they have to start with their own thoughts..."

"Helping students learn to express themselves and their own ideas, cogently and with integrity, based on actual learning. Presently, students are just using AI to cheat"

"Coaching students through their own opportunities for independent critical thinking. As a teacher I know when to provide assistance, when to back away, and when to remove the training wheels entirely regarding student's learning opportunities and chances to develop content knowledge, work ethic, and constructive life skills. AI has not yet mastered the ability to detect, evaluate, and execute that critical thinking step on its own."

"Teaching students how to think critically and with empathy and integrity"

"Teaching critical, ethical, and independent thinking skills -- Recognizing how language shapes how we think, how it gets used by humans to move or manipulate, how it can make change in the world or misrepresent it, how it can bring what can only be imagined into the real world."

"I think helping student to become there best selves including, but not limited to, teaching empathy, engagement, interpersonal skills, wellness, communication, critical thinking and literacies such as media, online, AI, etc, is all of our responsibilities and can't be replaced."

"Encouraging the personal excitement of learning, how to be a good human and think of others, how to consider the individual's impact on the world and inspire positive changes."

"To encourage critical thinking, analysis, evaluation of information and sources, and nurturing creativity."

"The most human part of my work as a teacher is being able to adapt to the learning needs of each student on a case-by-case, day-by-day basis. My ability to do this successfully relies on the critical skill of making connections with each of my students upon which to build a positive, collaborative relationship with them."

"You can never replace a teacher with AI. Teachers are vital for learning because they build relationships and foster a love of learning in their students. AI will never be able to do this in a healthy and productive way. Teaching as a whole is what matters most, and we should not even be discussing a world where "AI might do almost everything else." As an educator, this question is insulting."

"Relationships, creativity, critical thinking"

"Connecting and building relationships with my students and their families, forging partnerships with parents to help their children become more resilient and stronger critical thinkers in a world blossoming with disinformation."

"Developing meaningful relationships with students and developing essential skills: critical thinking, meaningful collaboration, cogent communication, and creative problem-solving"

"Tough question. Teachers are guides that help students unravel the mysteries of the world around them and see the connections among different subjects and fields. We are often positioned well to provide human context. We are also the emotional caretakers of our young charges. This may be the most "human part" of our job. My favorite part is the way students eyes light up when they grasp a complex topic. That part may eventually become the domain of AI. I do my best, but I am not great at the emotional support, so I may need to be open to exploring new careers in the future."

"Personal connection, taking into account all of the human parts of our students. I have to input and readjust 3-10 times things in AI before I can actually use it. Our students don't know that - just like writing drafts. They want one and done."

"The most human part of my work as a teacher is the relationships I build with students and the example I set for them. Teaching is not just about delivering content but about encouraging, challenging, and supporting young people as they grow. Students need someone who notices their struggles, celebrates their progress, and models qualities like resilience, fairness, and curiosity. AI may be able to generate answers or deliver lessons, but it cannot offer trust, guidance, or the moral formation that comes from human connection. What matters most is helping students not only learn how to solve problems, but also how to think critically, find meaning in their studies, and imagine the kind of person they want to become. That human formation is what teaching is truly about, and no technology can replace it."

"The most human part of my work as a teacher—the part that would still matter even if AI took over everything else—is the way I connect with students in real time. Not just academically, but personally. It’s the moment I notice a student’s silence and ask, “Are you okay?” Or when I tweak a bilingual flyer so it feels more welcoming to a student who’s nervous about signing up. It’s the way I use humor, memes, or even a bug crawling across the windowsill to spark curiosity and conversation. AI can generate resources, translate text, even simulate feedback. But it can’t feel the room. It can’t sense when a student needs encouragement, or when a joke will break the tension, or when a spontaneous story will make the lesson stick. That’s where I come in. I teach language, yes—but I also teach confidence, empathy, and belonging. I help students see themselves as capable communicators, not just in Spanish, but in life. That’s the part no machine can replicate. That’s the part I’ll never give up."

"A world where AI "does almost everything" sounds absolutely horrible, especially when we are talking about education. AI is not well suited to teaching. Let AI pick boxes at the Amazon warehouse and check out groceries so that people can be free to be creative, teach, read, and make art. I teach students with a wide range of needs, backgrounds, disabilities... that they learn from me is predicated on my relationship with them as people. It takes social care to establish trust and get to know what they need, how to speak to them, what will motivate them, when to be worried. You can't have a relationship with a computer. I am a school librarian and it is my job to order books and vet whether they are high quality and appropriate for my student population. This seems clerical but THIS MUST BE DONE BY A PERSON. It relies on other librarians and professional reviewers who are critically reviewing books for quality, authenticity, literary merit. AI is notoriously horrible at producing or judging literary merit or craft. It is also my job to protect my student's privacy and offer personalized recommendations based on their needs and likes. This is an art that takes time and lots of reading and trial and error to perfect. I would not trust an algorithm with a bad privacy track record to do this without the potential of outing students who are reading books with queer content, for example. Finally it is my job to TEACH DATA LITERACY, information literacy, digital literacy, and AI LITERACY. To teach students how to properly evaluate information and vet sources and think critically and be skeptical and verify what they read. This also takes a lot of trust building and convincing, a human art, since students come in with the assumption that these things may not be important and adults are overstating the importance of being wary of AI, misinformation, and that they need to do their own work and cite their sources."

"The humanness of discerning data to make inferences would disappear. When you visit the doctor, do you trust the ones whose face remains in a computer, checking boxes to allow AI to determine what is wrong with you? Or do you like a doctor who is questioning and data gathering to determine your diagnosis? The part I enjoy most is listening to students share their ideas and come to consensus when problem solving. Human interaction and collaboration need to be modeled and practiced to be effective. Who will encourage our youth to dream, have hope, and plan for a future they can achieve. I am concerned our innovative thinking process will deteriorate and we will become a society of nonthinkers."

"My ability to facilitate real-time, in-person conversations with students that encourage them to think deeply, listen to their peers, build meaningful connections, and course-correct misperceptions and/or deepen wisdom."

"The most human part of my work as a teacher is facilitating discussion and content comprehension. While tests and assessments are the tools we're given, my connection to my students, understanding their level and growth potential, gives me an advantage over an AI. I can challenge my students' work and work at the same pace with them."

"1.Relationship, empathy - connecting with the dignity of each person - requires humans 2. Nuance - complex situations, needs, complex problem solving - requires humans"

"Building human, person-to-person connections where students learn compassion, empathy, and critical thinking skills."

"Nurturing a love of learning and an inclination toward rigorous cognition."