Though many schools have returned to a semblance of “normal” activity since the pandemic, teacher retention has become a critical issue facing schools nationwide. With increasing rates of burnout, lack of support, unrealistic expectations, educators are still leaving the profession at alarming rates.

In this article, we will explore the root causes behind teacher attrition and how MirrorTalk, an AI tool that helps teachers (and their students) build reflective routines, can remediate these experiences and help educators rediscover their passion for education.

Why do teachers quit?

Burnout is an extreme result of chronic stress that causes depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Teachers experience this more than any other profession in the US.

Teachers who endured the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed the most significant upheaval to their work-life balance than at any other time in their careers.

Overnight they became technology experts, quasi-school counselors for emotionally dysregulated students, struggled to balance work and home lives teaching remotely, and threw themselves even more into their work because of their devotion to students’ success. 

Teachers, like healthcare and frontline workers, are naturally pre-disposed to put their students’ oxygen masks on before their own. So too often, they burnout. Hard.

Educators have begun to feel increasingly isolated, neglected, and unsupported due to myriad factors that have been exacerbated since the pandemic. While they once relished being considered experts in their field, more and more teachers report feeling undervalued by administrators, parents, and students. 

The ending of pandemic-era-related federal funding and budget cuts are hurting everyone and everything in education, but the shortages of key personnel such as mental health counselors, paraprofessionals, and coaches affect teachers worse than anyone else.

Without adequate support personnel, teachers increasingly must manage dysregulated students who disrupt their learning environment while keeping up with their increasing workload (see the next section). Worse, some administrators turn a blind eye and only step in after repeated or escalated events occur involving the same students.

Community is so important in education because teachers need a strong support network to help navigate the complexities of their profession, but there is simply not enough time built into a teacher’s already hectic schedule to seek regular support from their peers. And the once-in-a-while networking that happens only during school or district PD is not frequent enough to help struggling teachers connect, collaborate, and grow, despite these events’ promises to deliver on all of these things and more.

Without proper resources and support, dedicated educators inevitably say ‘enough is enough’ and seek alternative career paths.

The nationwide obsession with K12 testing means teachers are constantly under pressure to help their students achieve higher scores year over year.

This is a hefty challenge of its own, but it’s not the only pressure teachers are under. Teachers must also execute differentiated instruction based on student data and native languages, manage IEPs, support behavioral intervention plans, attend department meetings and PD, communicate often with parents, and guide extracurricular programs. 

And while many teachers are often glad to put in extra hours to help students succeed, the endless workload that comes with being an educator means teachers often have virtually no work-life balance. Teachers have kids of their own, get master’s degrees at night school, and trot around the country attending conferences to further their professional development, often on their dime. 

Combine this with burnout and feeling unsupported in their work, even the most seasoned teachers can feel like it’s hard to keep their heads above water.

Reflection is not just another tool

We’ve all heard the collective groan of teachers when you offer “another tool” to fix all their problems. Reflection isn’t just a tool to implement, use it once or twice, and replace it with newer, shinier tools later.

 Hear us out – with the help of AI, MirrorTalk builds empowering reflective routines for teachers (and their students) to help them think deeper about their challenges, call out and regulate their emotions, take ownership over things that are within their control to change and build the mental resiliency to face whatever new challenges come next (because, let’s face it – in education, there will always be new challenges).

MirrorTalk will change the game for teachers

MirrorTalk reduces teachers’ workloads

MirrorTalk’s reflective prompts are generated automatically for teachers, eliminating the need to craft time-consuming formative assessments. All teachers need to enter is their learning objective and MirrorTalk takes care of the rest.

MirrorTalk then instantly aggregates well-rounded insights about the whole child, so teachers don’t have to Macgyver a billion strategies together to find out how to help each student succeed.

MirrorTalk offers SEL support for teachers

MirrorTalk directly supports emotional regulation by having participants reflect out loud privately on topics that are stressful and difficult to share with others

Each reflection offers stress relief with mental and physical recharge activities that are built right in to the experience.

MirrorTalk helps teachers regain some control in their never-ending chaos

MirrorTalk empowers teachers and gives them the autonomy to reflect freely on topics that matter to them. This opens up space for them to wrap their heads around what they’re struggling with and MirrorTalk provides actionable feedback to help them prioritize what’s in their control and what isn’t.

What school leaders are saying

MirrorTalk is a low-impact way for teachers to use AI that also has a high-impact yield for students. MirrorTalk pushes students to go deeper which takes a lot of pressure off teachers.

Ashley Jackson, Principal, Metro Nashville Public Schools, TN

MirrorTalk functions as a supportive coach, offering balanced feedback that highlights strengths while suggesting improvements without judgment. Its personalized, actionable recommendations align with our PLC goals for teacher development.

Patricia Venegas-Weber, Researcher, University of Washington – College of Education, WA

The feedback teachers received from their very first reflection hooked them and made them feel like someone was really listening to their concerns.

Kacy Carter, Principal, Jackson Local School District, OH

MirrorTalk promotes intentional reflection among educators through brief daily moments that build over time. These reflections help prevent burnout by reconnecting teachers with their purpose in the best profession in the world: teaching.

Samantha Fecich, Ph.D, Professor, Grove City College, PA

Give teachers the individualized support they need with MirrorTalk + M2

MirrorTalk + M2 (hardware) is the ultimate support system for teachers, helping them manage workloads, enhance classroom engagement, and create sustainable teaching practices. With real-time feedback on instruction and small-group learning management, M2 lightens the load—so educators can focus on what matters most.

Schedule a live demo today to see it in action!

The post The teacher retention epidemic and how AI can reverse it appeared first on Swivl.

In the ever-changing landscape of AI, adaptability is a necessity. With the Swivl Adaptability Initiative, we are partnering with thought leaders like Matt Winters in our ongoing webinar series to help make these strategies and tools accessible to everyone.

Matt Winters presented on “Curating Curiosity: Maintaining Our Growth as Educators in the AI Age” on Tuesday, October 2023. Matt connected with an audience of educators in sharing various technologies that can be used to develop teacher curiosity and foster creativity and curiosity for students.

Who is Matt Winters

Matt Winters serves as a product manager and statewide educator at the Utah Education Network, specializing in Google Workspaces for Education. He also holds the position of co-leader for the Google Educator Group in Utah and is the President of the Utah Coalition for Educational Technology (UCET) , the Utah affiliate of ISTE, for the term 2022-2024.

Matt has been recognized as one of the “20 to Watch” by the International Society for Technology in Education in 2023 and has received Tech & Learning’s award for the Best Example of Professional Development. He has also worked as an English Language Arts teacher at both the secondary and college levels. Matt is a podcaster, having worked with Edtrex Rewind and The UCET Podcast, and currently with UEN Homeroom. His passions lie in the realms of storytelling, creativity, and technology, and he relishes the points at which these three interests intersect and thrive.

What Matt presented

Teachers often challenge students to become more curious, encouraging students’ exploration. But often educators lack curiosity as well, resulting in finding it challenging to instill curiosity in students.

To understand how to utilize technology for creativity, Matt originally discussed why technology can be challenging for educators. What makes it sometimes difficult for educators to foster enthusiasm for technology? The abundance of options. Matt suggested that one of the most effective methods for enhancing curiosity and navigating the overwhelming realm of technology is gaining a clear understanding of the available tech solutions.

ChatGPT popped up on the scene a little under a year ago, but this language model is actually just the start of AI. Matt reminded us that there are a variety of other tools on the market for educators to utilize for technological needs. Synthesia, Poised, Perplexity, and Dall·E, just to name a few.

How can educators facilitate the expression of curiosity among both students and teachers? For starters, if traditional exams represent the primary means of student assessment, the educational system might be doing a disservice to students. According to Matt, alternatives such as podcasting and video production, utilizing various AI technology tools, are avenues for students to exhibit their creativity.

Matt also advocates for educators to aid students in discovering their enthusiasm for technology. Taking periodic tech breaks can help prevent burnout. Moreover, educators can foster mentoring relationships in the field of education. Whether these relationships are formed at local tech conferences, within the school district, or through colleagues, mentors can play a significant role in challenging the perspectives of most educators, thus enhancing curiosity.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post Curating curiosity: Maintaining our growth as educators in the AI Age appeared first on Swivl.

The Swivl Adaptability Initiative was created to establish collaborations with educational institutions and school districts, with the aim of cultivating dynamic learning communities.
Within the framework of this initiative, we’re nurturing partnerships with educators and forward-thinking leaders in AI under the realm of our ongoing Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series. 

New York State Master Teacher Mary Howard gave her presentation “Is ChatGPT for me?” on Thursday, October 5, 2023. Mary led a dynamic session on how to access the AI-powered language model ChatGPT, how to use it to help assist with instructional tasks in the classroom, and more. 

Who is Mary Howard

Mary Howard of Grand Island, NY is an accomplished New York State Master teacher. Instructing 6th-grade, Mary’s teaching approach harnesses digital tools that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and the nurturing of a lifelong passion for learning.

Over the past decade, Mary has presented at various technology conferences throughout the state of New York, earning global recognition as a speaker specializing in augmented reality and virtual reality’s classroom applications. Additionally, Mary has published numerous edtech articles, has received several awards, and is the author of this book on AI, ChatGPT and education.

What Mary presented

ChatGPT provides educators with the opportunity to simplify educational endeavors. In sharing the importance of this tool, Mary provided practical and strategic insights on harnessing the potential of ChatGPT, along with guidance on how to utilize ChatGPT throughout an educator’s teaching journey, and why this tool is needed for today’s classroom. She elaborated on the functions and limitations of the language learning model, highlighting the benefits it offers to educators.

During her presentation, Mary also emphasized the importance of recognizing ChatGPT’s potential for bias. Extreme caution should be used when inputting prompts into the system, for grammatical and spelling errors and to receive optimal results. Furthermore, Mary shared a range of valuable features within ChatGPT that can aid educators in saving time and enhancing teaching processes. These features include enabling ChatGPT to create lesson plans and generate lists of terms and definitions, the development of engaging classroom materials such as crossword puzzles or worksheets, and more. ChatGPT’s functionality clearly supports efficient time management for educators, as expressed in the webinar.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post Is ChatGPT for me? appeared first on Swivl.

The Swivl Adaptability Initiative  is enabling us to establish collaborations with educational institutions and school districts, with the aim of cultivating dynamic learning communities.
Within the framework of this initiative, we’re also nurturing partnerships with educators and forward-thinking leaders in AI under the realm of our ongoing Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series.

Tim Dasey, Ph.D. presented on “The Underappreciated Impact of AI on Curriculum and Learning Models” on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, sharing how students navigating through this AI era must need to see big-picture 21sr century skills now more than ever.

Who is Tim Dasey

With a doctorate in Biomedical Engineering, Tim Dasey, Ph.D. spent 30 years of his career at MIT Lincoln Laboratory working in numerous technology areas and industries. With AI being a consistent thread in each career role at MIT, Tim ultimately cultivated unique viewpoints on leadership, AI, and transformation.

After twenty years of leading research and development teams, Tim made a giant leap to the user and strategy side of technology. With his book Wisdom Factories: AI, Games, and the Education of a Modern Worker, Tim blends arguments from AI, neuroscience, and personal experience.

What Tim presented

What are the changes in the skills needed for students? Instead of discussing how instruction can be revised to incorporate AI, Tim took a more systemic approach to AI’s impact on the broader labor market.

Change is happening extremely fast. Tim reminded us that because we do not know what the future of the workforce will be, the best approach that we can take is to set students up for adaptability. Work is becoming more global. Due to the uncertainty in the industry, more business models are moving from silo departments to increased collaboration. The need to bridge these disciplines is a must.

With AI’s evolution, some of the most significant changes it will require of educators, will happen in the very near future. AI is fundamentally a decision making technology, and though it is mistake-prone, Tim advocates that it cannot be missed.

Tim also noted that students will need to cultivate 21st Century Skills that will demand a challenge-based approach to learning. Known as the “Wisdom and Judgment Skills,” it is the experience in various situations that allow you to develop the big picture judgment skills. Intuition and reflection collectively provide the foundation for better judgment.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post The underappreciated impact of AI on curriculum and learning models appeared first on Swivl.

Through the Swivl Adaptability Initiative, we are forging partnerships with schools and districts to develop dynamic learning communities that can transform innovative ideas into actionable strategies. As part of this initiative, we are also cultivating partnerships with industry-leading
AI educators and thought leaders as they share their insight in the monthly Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series, fostering collaboration and adaptability.

And if there is anyone that knows the power of adaptability, it’s Matt Miller. An hour before his presentation his internet and cell service went out. On his quest to find a place where he could access the internet, he ended up presenting from his car in a rural area, surrounded by farm land.

This edtech influencer and author presented “The Future of Classwork with AI” on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. Matt wowed an audience of attendees on the power of adaptability and educators making immediate changes to adapt to a future that will indeed include AI.

Who is Matt Miller

Matt Miller is an educator, blogger and public speaker from West Central Indiana. Matt has presented to thousands of teachers at hundreds of workshops on a number of topics related to educational technology, student engagement, and more. Combining a conversational, engaging speaking style with loads of resources, Matt leaves teachers equipped and inspired to move forward.

Matt has infused technology and innovative teaching methods in his classes for more than 10 years. After trying to do the traditional “teach by the textbook” for a few years, he launched into a textbook-less path where learning activities were often custom-produced for his students as well as infused with technology.

The creator of the Ditch That Textbook, a blog that showcases technology and creative ideas in teaching, Matt is also a Google Certified Innovator and Microsoft in Education Expert. Named a 2023-2024 Top 100 Influencer in EdTech by EdTech Digest, he has has won the WTHI-TV Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching and is the author of six books, including Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom.

What Matt presented

While educators do not know the full extent of how AI will impact education, Matt shared a much-needed reminder: we’ve been here before. From the printing press to calculators, to the internet, technology in education is always evolving and will often change the way educators instruct and students learn.

AI will have a significant influence on the future of classroom activities. However, as Matt highlighted, instead of ignoring the presence of AI, educators should engage in conversations about leveraging AI as an effective educational tool. This can help create a more collaborative environment for both students and teachers.

Throughout the presentation, Matt discussed practical strategies educators can implement in the classroom immediately. One of these changes is integrating AI as an additional instructional resource, rather than reverting solely to traditional methods like paper and pencil. Matt also expressed the importance of using AI adaptive technologies to accommodate diverse learners, such as text-to-voice features, and utilizing AI to encourage student creativity and foster increased collaboration.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post The future of classwork with AI appeared first on Swivl.

To support educators through education’s changes brought on by AI we developed the Swivl Adaptability Initiative. We are collaborating with districts and schools to implement design thinking approaches, fostering an educational setting that encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and ongoing enhancements for educators, and ultimately, for students.

With the Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series, we are sharing insights on AI’s impact on education and practical strategies from the industry’s leading AI thought leaders and educators. On Thursday, September 21, 2023, CEO and Founder of MagicSchool.ai Adeel Khan presented “AI in Education with MagicSchool.” Attendees learned how the generative AI tool helps educators fight burnout, save time, and get high quality information when utilizing the appropriate prompts.

Who is Adeel Khan

A former teacher turned assistant principal, Adeel Khan has served in various leadership roles in education in Denver, CO before becoming the Founder and CEO of MagicSchool.ai.
Prior to developing MagicSchool.ai, Adeel founded and led DSST: Conservatory Green High School, the top performing public high school in Colorado.

Adeel’s passion for technology and expertise in education led him to also create Uncharted AI, an organization that explores transformative potential in AI learning.

What Adeel presented

During his presentation, Adeel demonstrated how to use MagicSchool.ai, an AI assistant with complimentary sign up for educators. WIth over 50 AI tools powered by generative AI, MagicSchool lightens the burden for educators and makes their work easy.

Adeel assured the audience that AI is a starting point: not the final solution. He also stressed the importance of checking for bias and accuracy when using AI tools, and always encouraging teachers to remember that protecting privacy for all students is vital. Sharing personal information over MagicSchool.ai is forbidden.

Adeel also reviewed some of MagicSchool’s most popular features: Raina, the AI chatbot; the Academic Content Generator; and the Teacher Joke Generator. He specifically spent additional time giving an overview of the user-favorite feature: the Rubric Generator. This tool allows educators to enter customized details to generate a rubric that would normally take one hour to complete, within a matter of seconds.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post AI in education with MagicSchool appeared first on Swivl.

Education is constantly changing. With the rapid evolution, becoming adaptable isn’t merely a desirable quality anymore; it’s a requirement. To support educators through education’s changes, we developed the Swivl Adaptability Initiative. For this initiative, we are partnering with educational institutions and districts to implement design thinking methodologies, creating a learning environment that promotes collaboration, problem solving, and continuous improvements for educators and ultimately, students.

As part of the Adaptability Initiative, we have created the Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series featuring the industry’s leading thought leaders and educators in AI. On Tuesday, September 19, 2023, Laura Ebersole presented to an audience of Teachers, Instructional Coaches and more on “Adaptability: Building Learning Communities through Engagement, Representation, Action, and Expression.”

Who is Laura Ebersole

With over 20 years of high school instruction under her belt, Laura Ebersole is currently a high school instructional coach at Upper Merion Area High School in King of Prussia, PA. Laura’s work focuses on improving student voice and choice in the curriculum, while creating environments responsive to student needs. She also focuses on AI, Universal Design for Learning, and design thinking.

A Google Certified Trainer and Coach, Laura has presented for the International Society for Technology in Education Conference in 2020 and 2023, the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts Conference in 2021, and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators Women’s Caucus in 2023. Laura is an advocacy chair of the Pennsylvania Association for Educational Communications and Technology, and has won a variety of industry awards. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and attending theatrical events. 

What Laura presented

During her presentation, Laura explained the importance of CAST’s Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how she has used this framework to integrate AI for personalized learning in her school. Laura also showcased the three vertical groups of the UDL guidelines: Engagement (the why of learning), Representation (the what of learning) and Action and Expression (how we are going about learning), expressing its importance and necessity.
This session also expressed how vital it is for teachers to know how students learn before diving into AI tools, so that they can use the tools that will best meet the needs of the students. When using AI, students and teachers should always be the center focus.

Check out the full webinar replay by clicking below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post Adaptability: building learning communities through engagement, representation, action, and expression appeared first on Swivl.

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, adaptability is not just a virtue; it’s a necessity. We find ourselves in the age of AI, where technology is reshaping how we teach and learn. That’s precisely why we launched the Adaptability Initiative. Through this initiative, we’re forging partnerships with schools and districts to create dynamic learning communities that turn ideas into actionable strategies. Our focus? Building essential skills for thriving in an AI-driven world, but also embracing adaptability for any new challenges that come your way.

One of the key aspects of our Adaptability Initiative is collaborating with thought leaders like Greg Kulowiec. On Tuesday, September 12, 2023 Greg kicked off the Adaptability Initiative Webinar Series with his presentation titled: “The Impact and Implication of AI on Teaching and Learning.”

Who is Greg Kulowiec

With two decades in education, Greg Kulowiec brings a unique approach to professional learning that blends his experience as a high school history teacher, professional learning provider and Director of Technology. Greg uses his expertise to partner with edtech companies to develop curriculum materials, teacher resources, and professional learning.   

Currently the Director of Technology at the Triton Regional School District and the Lead Learner and Principal of the Kulowiec Group, Greg understands both the opportunities and challenges that are presented when introducing technology into schools and classrooms.

What Greg presented

During this presentation Greg addresses how the emergence of universally accessible AI is having, and will continue to have, significant impacts on teaching and learning. These impacts need to be thoughtfully considered. His presentation explores AI from both a thirty thousand foot perspective and an on the ground lens. From the exploration of relevant skills and abilities impact and informed by the capacity of AI, to practical approaches that educators can use to enhance teaching and learning, the session is designed to spark curiosity, inform meaningful use of AI and empower educators to have informed discussion in their school or district.

You can watch the full webinar replay by clicking the button below.

We’re partnering with schools and districts around the country to create learning communities that fuel the momentum needed to build adaptability among teachers—especially when it comes to AI.

Connect with us to start building an adaptable community.

The post The impact and implication of AI on teaching and learning appeared first on Swivl.