Season 5 Episode #24 5 Amazing Things Teachers Can do that AI can’t

In this episode of the Cultural Curriculum Chat, host Jebeh Edmunds dives deep into the extraordinary roles that teachers play in shaping the future—roles that no AI can ever replicate. Join Jebeh as she shares five inspiring and irreplaceable things that educators do, sprinkled with her own personal stories from over 18 years in the classroom. From building a positive classroom environment to creating lifelong impacts, Jebeh reflects on the human touch that makes teaching a truly unique calling. Whether you're an educator or simply someone who appreciates the profound influence of teachers, this episode will leave you with a renewed admiration for the incredible work they do. Tune in to celebrate the educators who make a lasting difference, one student at a time.

Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe to stay connected with Jebeh and continue this multicultural educational journey!

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Educators vs AI

Speaker 1 0:25

Now are you curious about the unique and irreplaceable roles of our educators ? Well , in today's episode , I am so excited to share with you five amazing things teachers can do that AI just can't my own personal stories that really made me walk down memory lane , as well as talking about the personal connections that teachers possess that AI and computers just can't and I'm just so excited to have you get ready to be inspired and gain a new appreciation of teachers and their incredible work that they do with our students . I am so happy that you are here . Hello , welcome again . My name is Jeva Edmonds and welcome to the cultural curriculum chat podcast and if you are watching me , I am Mrs Edmonds cultural corner on YouTube . I walked in and I saw a really good article on it's from Education Week and it's written by Lorraine Longreo . The title is called Six Things Teachers Do that AI Just Can't , and that inspired me to do some deep reflection this last week about five amazing things teachers can do that AI just can't cut it , and I wanted to share with you those five things . And before I do dive into this , I want you to make sure that you understand in this channel I share all things multicultural educational practices for teachers and for small business owners and organizations . So if you are new to this channel and the podcast , be sure to subscribe so you are getting my newest , freshest episodes every week to keep you up to date with your favorite cultural consultant , jeb Edmonds .

Speaker 1 2:32

So , before we get into it , I wanted to share with you five amazing things that teachers simply can do . We could do this with our eyes closed , honey . We can do this for years to come , even in the future . It's just something that is inherent in us . I call it a calling . Some other people might feel that it's just their instinct . Either way , we've got the secret sauce and I have the five things I'm going to share with you , with some really fun stories . When I reflected on my 18 years in education , I was a classroom teacher for 10 . I taught five years in first grade and five years in fifth grade , and then , eight years before that , I was our African-American cultural specialist for our cultural center , and so I've got some you know uh , some experience in that realm , and I loved every chance I got uh instilling my insights and learning alongside with my students as well . So my top five of things that teachers can do that AI just can't , because we know AI is here to stay .

Speaker 1 3:41

We provide a positive classroom environment , we have understanding of student relationships , we motivate our students , we are relationship builders and we also have that lifelong impact . So I'm going to break down each one and share a personal story that comes to mind . So for the first one , a positive classroom environment , things like we greet our students at the door Even if we're having a bad day . We never show it . You know , I always say sometimes we have to fake it till we make it . But a lot of the times when we are in that and we see our students , we just get energized to see them every morning and we get energized to see them off at the end of the day . I'm not going to lie , but we really do see our students as our own classroom community . I even called them my kids and I do have my own kids .

Speaker 1 4:34

But you get into that relationship and by building that positive environment you have your students share who they are . When we would have morning meetings , kids would share their own personal stories . They would share something from home . We would do this cultural sharing where students would bring something that represents their culture . Now , when we talk about cultural sharing . It is not necessarily race or ethnicity , but it is their way of life . So some students would bring something that was something sports related , because their way of life was the love of sports . Some students would bring things that was a craft or something that they made with an elder , and all of that . We gave them that environment and that belonging space for them to really share who they are authentically . So that's something that AI and chat GPT just can't replicate , as some of us would think , but it doesn't . You need to have that personal cross-cultural connection with one another .

Speaker 1 5:39

Another thing I really loved was for number two . I wrote understanding student relationships and their dynamics . You know , when you get that fresh crop of students , you never know how each kid is going to meld with others . A lot of the times that I know , speaking from experience , you'll hear some colleagues of yours that goes oh , how come those two are in your room ? Or oh , good luck , and it's not really an enthusiastic good luck , but it all works out in the end . Plan per se , without vetting to see if it's true or false . It does not have that same dynamic of understanding our students' accommodations that they need . There's no dynamic of understanding if that child ate that day . There's no understanding of how these two are cousins and they wanted to be in the same class this year with you and sometimes the cousins get along like siblings . None of that stuff comes into play with AI and it is so inherent in us as educators by understanding the needs of our students and even looking , sometimes it gets down to a science where you know , oh , that kid was at that relative's house this weekend . Buckle up , it's going to be a high energy week , or you know what . Maybe give this kid more attention . All of that comes in play by understanding your student's dynamic and the relationships that they hold in your classroom . Another thing , too , is motivating your students , making them feel like they're ready to take on the day .

Speaker 1 7:31

I loved doing brain breaks and if you are new to the education field , brain breaks are you know you'd stop and do some stretch exercises , some yoga . I love dancing , especially African dancing . I'm a Liberian American , so I was always playing African music while we were transitioning and getting things going . And if you know African music , you know it could be 10 minutes long in some cases , or it could be even four minutes long , but it's always upbeat . It's always happy , always joyful , and those are the things that get students motivated At the end of the day .

Speaker 1 8:09

With my first graders when I taught first grade , I loved the movie the Help , and even a colleague of mine , my cooperating teacher , shout out to you , mary she made this beautiful poster that was I am kind , I am smart , I'm important , as a quote from the movie the Help . And I had that poster in my classroom . And so at the end of the day , to keep my students motivated and to kind of close up our day in first grade , I always would do this little chant and me and my first graders would line up at the door and I would say , and they would repeat after me I am kind , I am smart , I'm important . And then I would end it by saying hug , hug , I'll see you all tomorrow , bright eyed and bushy tailed . And we literally shake our hips I know I have no shame . And one little darling in my classroom was like okay , bushy tail , I got you . The next morning I screamed because my little darling brought a raccoon tail , honey . Yes , she really took that bushy tail literally and she brought it . And the whole classroom laughed . I laughed , she was just . Oh my gosh , she was so proud to bring her bushy tail the next day . So , again , we motivate our students . There's so many stories of us educators when we think about what we did to motivate your students to see greatness , to be great in their learning .

Speaker 1 9:45

Another thing , too , when we talk about building relationships , again , computers can't sense that , that they don't have that capability . And what I did at the end of my school year when I taught fifth grade the last five years , was learning my students dynamics , building those relationships with them . I created a beautiful picture frames and in the beginning of the year I would do a teacher selfie and me and my student would take a selfie together . And they had no idea why I was doing it . They just thought okay , mrs Edmonds , okay , she's like you know , all right , let's do this , take a picture and move on with our day . But I created this beautiful picture frame and I had a picture of our selfie together in the beginning of the year and at the end of the year I found an African proverb that really resonated with that student and who they were and I typed it up and then I gave them some advice at the end .

Speaker 1 10:47

So where I teach , where I taught I've been out of the classroom two years , but where I taught in our district , our last year of elementary school was fifth grade and then sixth grade . They would move on to middle school . So for me , you know , when I taught in the past , in first grade , it's like , oh , I'll see you next year in the hallways when you move up to second grade . But this was my little keepsake for them to remember me and our time in fifth grade when they move on to middle school . And it's just so important that I wanted to share that piece of my culture , as well as seeing them in my cultural lens and sharing a profound , encouraging , motivating African proverb that they have and my words of wisdom for them moving on . And still to this day I have students that still have our picture frame hanging up in their homes .

Speaker 1 11:49

So just another thing that we did as students and educators to have that classroom relationship with your students that is positive , encouraging , and it's such a small window of time that you have them on their educational journey that it's so important that they remember our time in that classroom Lifelong impact . Ai can't do that . They can't replicate the things you do to make students feel welcome . I don't know if it was Maya Angelou , but I am going to paraphrase . I remember this when I was going back to get my education degree and it said students will not remember exactly what you taught them , but they'll remember how you made them feel and having that lifelong impact , very positive impact , with your students . I'm now getting invited to my first first graders high school graduation parties and just to see them remember me when I go , celebrate them , it's just so rewarding to see that you help these kids learn how to read and now they're going to do bigger and amazing things and just to be just like I said that mile marker on their educational journey , said that mile marker on their educational journey . Ai can't replicate that . Ai can't replicate having those bonds that you do with your students and it helps you , too , to remember the impact as educators make of each of their students .

Speaker 1 13:25

We're creative . A lot of us have to act weird to keep all of our kids' attention . Yes , shout out to you , lisa . I remember when I got in my classroom and you're like yeah , jeb , just be weird , they'll pay attention . And that was the best classroom management advice I ever gotten . And so those are the things that I want you to understand when we're learning the new facet of AI .

Speaker 1 13:51

Yes , it is a remarkable tool , but it can't replicate you , the educator . It cannot replicate your hard work and correcting homework on the weekends . It can't replicate you having that one-to-one conversation with a parent . It can't replicate you advocating for your students to get the best education possible , and I'm so proud that I was amongst you and I am still there for you , advocating for you and getting you the tools that you need to continue this work . So , to reiterate those five amazing things teachers can do that AI just can't is one , creating that positive classroom environment . Two , understanding your students' relationship dynamics . And three , motivating your students . Four , relationship building . And five , having that lifelong impact .

Speaker 1 14:54

If you are looking for some really good lesson plans to bulk up your inclusivity and multicultural educational tools in your toolbox , I have the amazing library of lesson plans for you to order on my website , jebaedmondscom forward slash shop . I have over 60 , I have to pinch myself 60 lesson plans that I created . It's J I Jeba intelligence . Yeah , you see that . You see where I was going there . It is J I created all me .

Cultural Education and Inclusivity Promo

Speaker 1 15:36

And it is African cultural heritage , reading and social studies lessons . I even have African American history lesson plans . We even have things about cultural holidays all on my website , and if you are listening today and for a limited time , you can get exclusive discounts on the website by using the coupon code BELONG , because everybody deserves to belong in the classroom . I am so excited that you came back to the podcast and the YouTube channel today , and I am so excited that you are walking along this multicultural educational journey with me as well , so be sure to like , share and subscribe to this channel and this podcast so we can get more of you educators into our cultural community . And that's all that I have for you today . I will see you here same time next week , bright eyed and what . I will see you later , bye-bye .