As the summer winds down and millions of students return to classrooms across America, educators are grappling with a rapidly shifting landscape—one shaped by the twin forces of artificial intelligence and the omnipresence of smartphones. On August 18, 2025, Jennifer L. Steele, an education policy professor, published a thought-provoking article in The Conversation exploring how generative AI is poised to upend the traditional job market and, by extension, the mission of K-12 education. Just a day later, The New York Times released an interactive focus group featuring 12 public high school teachers, each wrestling with the profound changes sweeping through their schools.
Both pieces, though different in format and tone, converge on a central question: What should schools be preparing students for in an era where machines can write, draw, and even code, but still can’t truly understand what it means to be human?
According to Steele’s analysis in The Conversation, the jobs that once offered the greatest earnings—especially in science and technology—are no longer as secure as they once seemed. With employers openly considering AI replacements for certain white-collar roles, the traditional focus on creative and analytic skills may not be enough. “Generative AI excels at pattern-matching in ways that allow it to simulate human coding, writing, drawing and data analysis, leaving the lower rungs of these occupations vulnerable to automation,” Steele writes. Yet, she notes, AI stumbles when faced with complex reasoning, ambiguity, or the nuanced world of human emotions.
This, Steele argues, makes so-called ‘soft skills’—like conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional awareness, and the ability to work with others—more important than ever. These are not just innate traits, she emphasizes, but teachable abilities. “Teaching emotional awareness” can be woven into everyday classroom routines, such as asking students to reflect on moments of kindness or intellectual bravery at the end of a lesson. The aim isn’t just to boost mood or engagement, but to help students realize that their emotional responses are within their control—a skill that predicts their ability to manage frustration, perceive others’ feelings, and collaborate effectively.
Steele further suggests that teachers can foster problem-solving by having students tackle real-world, messy problems—ones with no clear right answer. Whether it’s measuring odd-shaped objects around the school or proposing landscaping solutions based on soil data, these tasks demand teamwork, creativity, and adaptability. “Solving novel, complex problems will continue to befuddle AI,” she notes, because so much of what humans do involves intuition, spatial awareness, and emotional intelligence that machines simply can’t replicate.
But even as teachers embrace these new priorities, they face mounting challenges. The New York Times focus group paints a vivid portrait of educators caught between hope, fatigue, and frustration. The teachers unanimously agreed that cellphones, now deeply entwined with students’ identities, are a major distraction—one that has fundamentally changed classroom dynamics. “They’re just waiting to just get back on their phone,” said Rachel, a veteran teacher. “It’s like class time is almost just a pause in between what they really want to be doing.”
Many schools are now experimenting with no-phone policies, requiring students to stow their devices in designated pockets during class. The teachers support these moves, but acknowledge the resistance from students—and sometimes even parents—who see the phone as a lifeline. Tom, another teacher, observed, “We look at the phone as a device that’s separate from us, that we can use it as a tool, but kids see it as part of themselves. They’ve connected the phone to their individuality.”
Artificial intelligence, too, is a source of both opportunity and anxiety. Evan described AI as a “double-edged sword,” offering instant access to information but also tempting students toward “a whole new level of laziness and academic dishonesty.” Teachers are finding themselves reading essays that sound suspiciously generic, or catching students using apps to solve math problems in seconds. Elvionna, who teaches robotics, insists on honesty in her classroom: “My students know I don’t accept any AI answers. I’ll tell them straight up, ‘This is AI.’ But they have to solve problems and build things in my class, so AI can’t help do so many things with that.”
The pandemic’s aftershocks still reverberate, especially in terms of social skills and student motivation. Teachers report that students are less prepared academically, more apathetic, and less willing to engage face-to-face. “The biggest impact that I’ve seen from Covid is the lack of social skills, like face-to-face interaction. It’s easy to hide behind a screen,” Sarah reflected. Brandi echoed the sentiment: “They don’t want to talk to each other. They just want to sit and do their own thing.”
Yet, for all the obstacles, many teachers remain deeply committed to their work. They cite the joy of watching students mature, the satisfaction of teaching critical thinking, and the chance to make a difference in communities facing adversity. “I love it because I get to share with my students and say, ‘Hey, I came from a similar background as you, and you can do it if I can do it,’” said Elvionna, who has taught generations of students in a predominantly African American rural school.
Still, the profession’s pressures are real. Teachers lament low pay, limited opportunities for advancement, and the constant addition of new responsibilities—often ones that once belonged to families or the broader community. “We work harder than most other jobs, and that’s it. Congratulations. You can be a teacher next year. Or: Oh, we’re going to give you a 2 percent raise. There’s no chance for promotion. You don’t get to be super teacher and now make double. There’s no financial reward or incentive except your own sense of achievement,” Danielle noted, capturing a common frustration.
On policy, the focus group revealed sharp divisions over federal education funding and the role of the Department of Education. Some, like Jeff and Brandi, feel their states will thrive with local control, while others, such as Dana and Rachel, worry that cuts will deepen inequities and harm vulnerable students. “It’s going to be a detriment to education to dismantle the Department of Education. Schools or programs that rely on federal funding are going to suffer, students with disabilities. It’s going to depend on the state. I think it’s going to cause more of a divide,” Rachel argued.
Despite the challenges, a thread of hope runs through both the research and the teachers’ voices. Steele’s core message is that self-awareness, collaboration, and perseverance—qualities that make us human—will remain essential in an AI-driven world. Teachers, for their part, want students to take responsibility, stay engaged, and remember that “high school and a lot of life is what you make it.”
As the education system navigates these uncharted waters, one thing seems clear: The future will belong not to those who can out-code a machine, but to those who can think, feel, and connect in ways that machines cannot. The classroom, with all its messiness and possibility, remains at the heart of that mission.
