Disclaimer: I’m going to present on Using Gen-AI tools to enhance English teaching and learning to fellow educators next Monday. Suffice it to say that I embrace the invasion of Gen-AI tools.

Preparing for the presentation reminded me of how Hayao Miyazaki famously declared his disdain for Gen-Ai tools. Aside from his exceptional talent and unparalleled work ethics, I do think that he is in a privileged position to let nature run its course, have ideas slowly germinate and marinate inside his mind, and embark on drafts and revisions before he is satisfied with his final product. Which will be top-notch and perhaps groundbreaking, that goes without saying.

Did you know that your child’s report card remarks may not be completely written by his or her teachers anymore? Platforms like Magic School help busy teachers churn out remarks in a jiffy. More motivated ones will adapt these remarks to add a personal touch; their stressed-out counterparts will probably copy and paste these remarks on the school management portal.

Because these remarks are good enough. I don’t think that many teachers lack the will to come up with personalised remarks, but given that we wear multiple hats and fulfill a multitude of tasks every day, we might not have the cognitive energy required to come up with heart-felt and insightful remarks. Insight is a time-consuming process, but time is the commodity that teachers lack.

So, sometimes I only have 15 mins before the next lesson. I could be more efficient, I guess. I may succumb to dillydallying after a lesson and only waking up my idea when time tightens its suffocating grip on me. Though I argue that I’m just human and need to decompress after an exhausting lesson and just lay back and eat something. Other times, I get dragged into conversations I may not particularly care for, but my colleagues may need help, so I will be there for them. However, these disruptions mean that I settle for good enough.

So, I use Gamma to generate PPT slides, as well as Magic School to generate worksheets. I hastily scan through AI’s work, make a few crucial changes, hit ‘Send’, and rush my way to class. I do my best with the materials I churn out. Sometimes, I’m even an effective teacher because some students remember what I say and learn to apply the strategies taught on the next assignment.

Not sure where I’m going with this. Maybe because I have no resolution in mind. I guess I envy the likes of Hayao Miyazaki who not only know what they want, but have also carved out a conducive environment for them to pursue wholeheartedly their vision, heedless of time’s march and money’s pressures.