Everywhere we turn, the world hums with algorithms

Machines translate languages, write essays, drive cars, even whisper advice when we ask

And yet, in the midst of this technological tsunami, there is noted and legitimate fear everywhere…especially for educators

I’ve had conversation after conversation with school leaders and educators from around the world who are genuinely concerned (maybe even terrified) at the rapid onslaught of AI

They are concerned with how students are using it, concerned with what it is doing to students (and to them), and concerned with what it might mean for the future of the teaching profession itself

And what I tell them is this:

If we believe that education is nothing more than the transfer of information, then yes, AI is already putting us out of work.

Thankfully, however, that’s not what education has ever really been

Education is always soul craft

Education is not just the passing out of quizzes and grading tests

It is much more importantly about the shaping of character, curiosity, and courage; the nurturing of purpose and wonder; the slow, patient work of drawing out what’s most true and beautiful in a human being

While schooling may be subject centered, education is always human centered

The Latin root of “educate”—educere—means “to lead forth” or “to bring out”

That’s a far cry from merely filling minds with data

Education is more than just subject centered content delivery

It is about calling students into the fullness of who they are and who they’re becoming.

To educate is to see a soul before you see a grade

It is to say, “You are more than what you produce. You are more than what others expect. You are seen. You belong”

Every student walks into your classroom with questions far deeper than the ones on your lesson plan.

Do I matter? Do I belong? Am I enough?

If students don’t feel seen or valued, no amount of content mastery will change that.

And that’s where you, the educator, comes in!

AI can analyze, compute, and produce content in milliseconds.

But it cannot look a student in the eye and say, “I see you. You belong here”

It cannot celebrate a small victory, notice a struggling spirit, or call a young person up into their potential.

This is why educators are irreplaceable.

You’re not just delivering content.

You are shaping “souls”—the deep places within your students where their identity is being formed

Technology may change how students learn, but educators give them the why

And the why is where life transformation happens.

Here’s the good news: no matter how fast technology moves, there’s one thing it can’t do.

It can’t be you.

YOU are the magic, the secret, the one who makes students feel seen, heard, valued, and valuable

• You know your students

• You see them

• You care about them

• You are the one sparking the deep why questions

• You are the one calling them up and out

• and you help them become not just smarter, but wiser

Educators are more valuable now than ever—not because you can outpace AI in spitting out information, but because you can do what no algorithm can: breathe life into students

Why the world still needs you (and always will)

AI can give answers in milliseconds. But you teach students how to ask the right questions.

AI can process data endlessly. But you help kids figure out what really matters.

AI can mimic conversation. But you can sit with a student who feels lost and say, “I see you. You’re not alone”

Think about that for a second.

When was the last time a piece of software looked a student in the eye and believed in them?

YOU are still the difference maker

YOU are still the one telling students they matter

YOU are still the one pointing them towards their passions and purpose

YOU are still the one speaking words of blessing and belief over them

Here’s another truth worth holding close: people—especially teenagers—need to know that they matter

Students yearn for belonging, for someone—anyone—to say, “You matter”

That’s what you bring to the table

May we never lose sight of the fact that it is the educator…not the content…students remember long after they leave school

It is the educator that made the difference, that sparked the “a ha'“ moment, that became “the teacher that changed my life”

That is why this is your moment

Never forget that education is never just about delivering content

It’s about shaping character, cultivating hope, and leading students to discover who they are and who they’re becoming

Leading forth is your calling in this moment: to draw out the best in students, to make them see value in themselves they may not yet see, to point them towards bigger skies and wider horizons, to cheer them on, to show up, to smile big, to be the one that lets them know how much they truly matter

AI might change how students learn facts

But you’re the reason they learn why any of it matters

And that sacred “why” will always need an educator

Your invitation

This week, look for a moment to shape a soul—not by delivering information, but by giving attention

Call a student by name. Write a quick note home. Show up to their game. Notice when they’re trying, not just when they’ve succeeded

Education at its core has always been about forming people, not just teaching subjects

In an artificial age, the world doesn’t need educators who act like machines

It needs mentors who craft humanity

Because when you do that, you’re not just preparing students for a test—you’re preparing them for life. And that is soul work.

With deep gratitude,

Scott

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