When Students Use AI and Teachers Don’t: A Leadership Problem, Not a Generational One

Everyone’s talking about how AI is changing education, but they’re mostly asking the wrong question.

It’s not “Will AI replace teachers?”

It should be, “Why are our students using AI more fluently and frequently than our teachers?”

In schools across the country, we’re watching something unfold in real time: Students are adopting AI tools faster than faculty. And the instinct is often to treat this like a discipline issue or a generational inevitability.

But it’s neither. It’s an incentive issue.

Let’s unpack that, and then talk about how to fix it.

Why Students Are Ahead of the Curve

High schoolers are using AI because it gives them exactly what they need: faster results, better grades, easier paths to finished assignments. The incentives are crystal clear. Every time they use ChatGPT or another tool, they get a short-term win, and for many of them, that’s the primary metric of success.

Whether or not the assignment was meaningful is beside the point. AI helps them do what they’re asked to do, faster.

And who can blame them for using it?

Incentives drive behavior. Students have a strong one.

Teachers, on the other hand? Not so much.

Why Teachers Aren’t Using AI

It’s tempting to say it’s a tech gap. But most of the time, it’s a trust gap and a fear of replacement.

Teachers have spent years refining lesson plans, developing classroom systems, and perfecting their own voice and style. Enter a tool that can plan a unit, write parent communication, and grade short answers in under 30 seconds, and it’s no wonder people feel threatened.

Here’s what I’ve seen across the dozens of schools I work with:

• Veteran teachers worry AI will erode the profession.

• Newer teachers don’t always have the context to use it strategically.

• Most teachers, regardless of age, don’t feel like they’ve had time, training, or permission to explore AI in a meaningful way.

And so, they do what anyone would do in that situation: They stick with what they know.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Students overuse it. Teachers underuse it.

Both are symptoms of the same issue: misaligned incentives.

So what do we do?

We don’t shame students into stopping. And we don’t shame teachers into starting.

We lead.

How to Encourage Teachers to Use AI Thoughtfully

If you want your faculty to embrace AI — not just “know about it,” but really integrate it into their workflow and pedagogy — you need to do three things:

1. Show them how it makes their lives easier. Start with lesson planning, email drafting, rubric creation, or sub plans. Focus on workflow wins, not philosophical arguments.

   
   

2. Make it part of professional development. One-time workshops don’t cut it. Offer embedded support, peer modeling, and real-time coaching. Give them the space to try, fail, and iterate.

   
   

3. Normalize it from the top. School leaders need to speak fluently about AI, not as a threat, but as a tool for teacher amplification. AI won’t replace good educators, but educators who know how to use AI will likely outperform those who don’t.

How to Discourage Students from Using AI as a Shortcut

We spend so much energy asking “how do we catch them?” that we forget the more important question: Why do they feel the need to use AI in this way in the first place?

Here’s how to shift that dynamic:

1. Make learning matter. When students feel ownership and relevance, they’re far less likely to outsource their thinking. Authentic assignments, meaningful problems, and real audiences change the game.

   
   

2. Teach AI literacy. If we don’t teach students how to use AI responsibly, we’re just hoping they figure it out on their own. Spoiler: They won’t. Help them understand when it’s a tool and when it’s a crutch.

   
   

3. Redefine what “cheating” looks like. Some uses of AI are strategic; others are shortcuts. But most fall into a grey area. Instead of drawing rigid lines, co-create norms and expectations with your students. Help them navigate this new terrain ethically and thoughtfully.

What This Means for Schools

We have a unique opportunity — and a unique responsibility. We don’t just teach content; we’re shaping character, community, and values.

AI isn’t going away. But how we respond to it, how we lead through it, will shape the kind of learners and teachers we nurture for years to come.

It’s not about banning ChatGPT or launching an “AI initiative.”

It’s about aligning our incentives with our values:

• Empower educators with tools that make their lives easier.

• Equip students with the judgment to use tools wisely.

• And create school cultures where human connection, curiosity, and critical thinking are still at the center.

Let’s stop treating AI adoption like a generational problem.

It’s a leadership one.

And it’s ours to solve.