AI isn't going away. Neither is your job.

Students are using ChatGPT whether you like it or not. The question is: how do you teach effectively in a world where AI exists?

What teachers are dealing with

Based on conversations we've had with teachers across St. Louis, the frustration is real. Students are submitting AI-generated work. Detection tools are unreliable. School policies are either non-existent or too vague to be useful.

Meanwhile, you're being told to "incorporate AI into your teaching" without any training or clear guidance on what that actually means. And you're supposed to figure this out while doing everything else you already do.

Here's the thing: this isn't actually about policing students. It's about rethinking assessment in an age where certain types of assignments are now trivially easy to fake. That's a bigger conversation - but it starts with having clear policies.

Practical guidance for your classroom

Be explicit about expectations

Students need to know what's allowed for each assignment. "Use AI as a brainstorming tool but write the final draft yourself" is clearer than "AI is permitted with disclosure."

Design AI-resistant assessments

Some assignments are easy to fake with AI. Others are harder. Personal reflection, in-class writing, oral presentations, process documentation, and creative work with specific constraints are all more AI-resistant.

Teach AI literacy

Students need to understand what AI can and can't do. How it hallucinates. How to verify its outputs. Why blindly trusting it is dangerous. These are skills they'll need in any career.

Focus on the process, not just the product

Ask students to show their work. Document their research process. Explain their thinking. AI can generate a final product, but it can't demonstrate the learning journey.

A word on AI detection

AI detection tools are unreliable. They produce false positives (flagging human writing as AI) and false negatives (missing AI-generated content). This isn't a technology problem that will be solved soon - it's fundamental to how these systems work.

Accusation based solely on a detection score is unfair to students and puts you in a difficult position. Better to design assessments that make AI use obvious or irrelevant.

How we help teachers

We work with school administrators to develop clear AI policies and provide teacher training. If your school doesn't have clear guidance yet, encourage your IT director or academic leadership to reach out.