Recently, I have been spending more time on two Facebook groups, AI for Teachers and AI Tools for Teachers.
I noticed one thing. Many new members introduced themselves to the group, stating their teaching subjects and soliciting for recommendations.
But the thing is, they offer such a cursory and generic description of their context that other members still don’t know their pain points and struggles. I wonder why they don’t do a simple search in the group to check out previous posts. Surely, someone else must have posted something useful that will help them along.
No doubt, there is a social element to this. The dopamine rush associated with exploring a novel group, the desire to make themselves known and connect with others, the hope for quick fixes - all these factors come into play to explain their behaviour.
I won’t say that I’m complaining. I have been happily leaving my how-to guides on various AI tools, which causes a spike in viewership of my blog. Who knows, maybe I can focus my blog on AI-related teaching matters. No one has complained by my self-promotion so far; on the contrary, I have been receiving a couple of likes for my sharing.
However, I feel that they are not taking the necessary steps to define the things they need. Teachers are overwhelmed with many responsibilities; I can empathise with them. Nonetheless, if they aren’t going to do the work to articulate their gaps, they aren’t going to receive suggestions that are tailored towards their needs.
Hence, the title for this musing. Own your problem, don’t outsource it. Because if you can’t even pinpoint the areas that cause you friction, how can you expect others to help you?