Maximize Your Impact as an Instructional Leader with AI
Marry your expertise with AI strengths and develop your capacity related to AI limitations.
AI-generated feedback in our schools can offer valuable data-driven insights into teaching and learning but used alone without human interpretation and interaction, it risks oversimplifying complex classroom realities and jeopardizing trust. AI can enhance feedback and performance reviews by instantly analyzing student data trends, classroom transcripts, and assessment results, but human observers and evaluators must know how to:
- Collect targeted and balanced evidence upon which the AI tool is acting/responding
- Contextualize findings to ensure fairness & accuracy
- Deliver actionable feedback in a way that fosters relationships, trust, and growth
- Empower teachers through reflection and support to foster ownership
As feedback providers, observers must commit to honest self-assessment and ongoing professional growth in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to effectively use AI-enhanced or AI-generated feedback. It’s equally important to develop the capacity to support those receiving this type of feedback, ensuring it is meaningful, respectful, and growth-oriented.
Resources Coming This Spring – Feed Forward with AI Toolkit
- Launching Feed Forward AI Guide – Understanding strengths & limitations and getting started
- AI Feedback Readiness Framework – Understanding/Self-Assessing necessary knowledge, skills, & dispostions
- Train the Bot, Train the Brain – Activities to collectively review AI-generated feedback
Broader Context for Systems of Support
AI also exists within a broader context of ensuring support for staff in schools. Though “Instructional Leader” is one of the 3 primary functions of a building administrator, the reality of responsibilities and stressors related to time management remains an obstacle to ensuring staff is supported through feedback. Leaders should identify and implement processes and systems to ensure they:
- Use a time study self-assessment to identify strengths and targeted strategies to “find the time, take the time, and make it count.”
- Build capacity of an instructional leadership team and teacher leaders to engage in peer-peer feedback.
- Leverage the power of video-based observation and coaching.
- Leverage the power of AI.
