I’ve been teaching college students for over 20 years. Mostly as an adjunct—those of us who live semester to semester, juggling multiple campuses and courses, often with no office or benefits. It’s not glamorous. But it’s real. And in all those years, one lesson has never changed:
Students don’t need more information. They need to learn how to think.
Lately, though, that’s gotten a lot harder.
AI Isn’t the Problem—It’s the Shortcut
When ChatGPT entered the classroom—whether we invited it or not—it didn’t just disrupt writing assignments. It reshaped the entire learning process.
I've had students turn in essays written entirely by AI. Some try to hide it. Some are just honest: "I didn’t know where to start, so I used ChatGPT."
And honestly? I get it.
They’re exhausted. Working two jobs. Caring for younger siblings. Dealing with anxiety. When you feel overwhelmed, a tool that gives you a clean, structured response in seconds is incredibly tempting.
But here’s the quiet tragedy: they’re skipping the very thing they came to college for.
Because the real value isn’t in the finished paper—it’s in the thinking that goes into it.
What AI Can’t Do (Yet)
AI can summarize Plato. It can generate a thesis about climate change. It can mimic a student’s voice if prompted well enough.
But it can’t wrestle with confusion, or change its mind mid-sentence, or feel that quiet satisfaction when a paragraph finally clicks after an hour of frustration. That’s the human part. That’s the learning.
And that’s what we’re in danger of losing.
So What Do We Do?
I don’t want to turn my classroom into a surveillance state. I’m not here to “catch cheaters.” I’m here to help students think better—more clearly, more deeply, more honestly.
So I’ve changed how I teach.
We write in class. Not always, but often. With pens, not keyboards.
We talk more. Quick interviews about their ideas. No grades—just conversation.
We reflect. Every major assignment now includes a short reflection: “What did you struggle with? What surprised you? What would you do differently next time?”
We use AI—but we talk about it. I don’t ban ChatGPT. I ask them to analyze its output, critique it, revise it, challenge it.
Because if they’re going to live in a world with AI, they need to learn how to coexist with it critically—not surrender to it passively.
Students Still Want to Think
This might surprise you, but most students do want to think. They want to be challenged. They want to feel like their ideas matter. They just don’t always believe they’re capable—or that anyone’s listening.
So I try to be the one who listens.
I’ve seen students light up over an idea they thought was “dumb.” I’ve watched quiet kids find their voice when they realize no one’s grading them on being perfect. I’ve read messy, heartfelt essays that could never come from a chatbot—because they came from them.
And in those moments, I remember why I’m still doing this, even after 20 years.
Final Thought: Your Mind Still Matters
We’re all adjusting to this AI revolution—students, teachers, everyone. But in the rush to automate, let’s not forget: the most valuable thing in the classroom has always been the human mind.
Not just what it knows.
But how it questions. Connects. Doubts. Builds. Breaks. Rebuilds.
That kind of thinking doesn’t happen instantly. It can’t be downloaded. And it’s not obsolete.
In fact, in the age of AI, it might just be more essential than ever.
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