In the Age of ChatGPT, What Should Teachers Focus On?

The impact of artificial intelligence in society

Investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have increased thirtyfold since 2013. According to a recent Goldman Sachs report, AI could replace about 300 million full-time jobs in the USA and Europe. The founders of OpenAI believe that 80% of workers will have some of their tasks performed by large language models (LLMs).
What emotions arise in us when reading this data? This isn’t just a simple question but an invitation to reflect on what’s happening in our minds, hearts, and guts during this peculiar era. Emotions guide our choices, and our choices build the future.

It’s essential to understand the complexity and various factors at play when discussing school contexts and the dynamics involving different educational figures. Therefore, it’s important to emphasize that in the following article, we’ll focus mainly on the teacher’s role, which, in this delicate phase, becomes crucial. Not only that: in this article, we’ll specifically discuss emotions and teaching in the era of AI, starting with the star of the moment: ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is software designed to engage in written conversations and answer any type of question, gaining worldwide popularity for its simplicity and effectiveness: ChatGPT seems like a dream come true for everyone. Don’t know the recipe for mascarpone? No problem, you can ask ChatGPT! Don’t know how to solve a math problem? ChatGPT solves it for you! And the same goes for an essay, a paper, and most of the activities assigned as homework by teachers.

ChatGPT as a tool outside and inside the classroom

Now let’s ask ourselves: if we were students today and knew we could complete at least part of the assigned homework in 15 minutes using ChatGPT instead of spending three hours of boredom and sighs alone, what would we do? Our answer is: “It depends on the enthusiasm, motivation, or passion we have for the specific subject; it depends on the meaning we see in making that effort.” And what’s your answer? What’s interesting to us is that the impact of AI is making us question the value we can bring to our role. To support our reasoning, focusing on the school world, let’s take some time and ask ourselves:

• Is the value of school knowing a text or fostering a passion for reading? Certainly, knowing the information in a text is important, but how many more would we read if we were passionate!
• Is the value memorizing the physics formula needed for the test or conveying the enthusiasm for experimenting and discovering the rules of the universe? The formula is mandatory, but if we love experimentation, error, discovery, we’ll seek out the formulas on our own and remember them because they are functional in satiating our curiosity.
• Is the value the final grade or the relationship of respect and trust we’ve established with students? The final grade is a consequence of a flame that someone managed to ignite and sustain throughout the studies. Trainers, facilitators and teachers have the common goal of supporting learning processes by activating new skills.

Neuroscience tells us that the success of learning processes depends on the emotional-relational dimension and that emotions generate, or hinder, the desire to learn and determination towards discovery. And this is where the challenge for today’s teacher arises: to perform the role in an emotionally intelligent way, that is, leveraging our ability to value thoughts and emotions in a balanced manner. The teacher, therefore, needs to be aware of their emotional influence and manage it optimally to generate value useful to the student. The challenge is not easy but overcoming it means having a future; the school guarantees it, and teaching is the key.

Rethinking teaching to generate value

A first consideration to achieve this goal is that teaching evolves over time both in terms of transferred skills and in the methodology of transfer. For example, good handwriting was once important; today, with computers, it’s no longer a plus: past teaching isn’t needed. Evolution follows the changing needs of boys and girls and relates to the world they’re in: currently, the world of Artificial Intelligence. Today’s school environment needs teachers, or rather educators, who deal with three dimensions in a harmonious way:

1. What

2. How

3. Why

By “what,” we mean the content to be transferred. We can no longer think that school should focus solely on knowledge but also, and especially, on the process of growth and maturation. The world is moving too fast and we need to equip boys and girls with the skills that will help them navigate complexity: empathy, critical thinking, self-awareness, collaboration, emotional intelligence. There is a need, for example, for being empathetic to become what beautiful handwriting was in our grandparents’ time. The question, then, is: What is one dimension that we think is important for girls and boys to train in order to face the world with balance? And how can we carve out a space to give it a voice?

By “how,” we mean focusing on the methodology with which we convey knowledge. Information transfer skills need updating: this does not mean choosing super-technological accessories to use in the classroom but asking how to capture the attention of the class. How can our lessons spark excitement instead of boredom or frustration? And how can we use transformative questions to move beyond the surface-level knowledge of ChatGPT and inspire deeper reflection? What if, instead of asking students to simply recount the events of the French Revolution, we posed the question, “What emotions would you have experienced if you had been in a wealthy family during the Revolution, and how would they differ if you had been in a poor family?” Knowledge becomes the foundation for answering such a question, while the ability to empathize fosters essential skills like empathy and creativity. Moreover, this type of question serves to increase engagement, pushing boys and girls out of their comfort zones and providing them with the opportunity to discover and develop their unique talents. No one can truly learn without a sense of adequacy.

Finally, in the dimension of ‘why,’ we explore the meaning behind our efforts: Why should a student engage in school? Without a sense of purpose, it’s hard for anyone to move forward. In the realm of Emotional Intelligence, there is a skill called ‘Pursuing Noble Goals.’ These are the goals that not only impact the world but also empower us to overcome limitations, unleashing energy and enthusiasm. Let us ask ourselves: what is our noble goal as educators? How does this vision manifest in our actions within the classroom? And, most importantly, how can we help students feel connected to a learning process that not only benefits them but also contributes to the greater system of which we are all a part? If they could perceive that what they are learning empowers them to make a positive impact in the world, studying would become the vehicle through which they can truly make a difference.

To achieve this, we must focus on developing our Emotional Intelligence, as today’s new generations require role models—teachers who are capable of change because they have understood the role they must play to nurture individual growth. Being tenured alone does not make one a teacher; what truly defines us is the impact we have on our students. This process places us as educators in a position that our brains often categorize as dangerous and threatening, as it takes us out of our comfort zones. This discomfort is emotional in nature, and it is what leads so many teachers today to resist engaging with their role in an emotionally intelligent way.

We are well aware that this is not easy, but, to paraphrase Piaget, in today’s world, we desperately need to create individuals capable of doing new things, not merely repeating what we have done. Our goal is to help boys and girls develop skills that even we cannot yet foresee, and the practical tools of Emotional Intelligence are unparalleled resources for achieving this. So yes, we follow the curriculum, but with the utmost attention to nurturing these young minds, helping them flourish, and igniting the flames that will light the world of tomorrow.