Only 7 Teachers Were Using AI… Here’s What This Principal Did Next - TEC89

About this episode

This episode discusses how Principal Sean O’Shea transformed teacher engagement with AI by focusing on culture rather than traditional training.

When Sean O’Shea surveyed his staff, only 7 out of 25 teachers had used AI.So he didn’t run a training. He rebuilt the culture. In this episode, we break down what actually worked—how one principal moved teachers from hesitation to experimentation, and why AI only matters if it improves thinking, not replaces it. This is real school, real constraints, real moves. In This Episode : - The permission problem holding teachers back (and how to fix it fast) - Why most AI PD fails—and what to do instead - Using AI as a thought partner, not a shortcut - A simple staff meeting shift that changed adoption - How Sean used AI to analyze evaluations and uncover real school-wide gaps - The balance: faster feedback vs. losing human connection - A practical “Driver’s Ed” model for teaching AI to students 3 Moves You Can Try Tomorrow : 1. Give teachers one safe AI task (quiz or sub plans)—no pressure, just try 2. Use AI to generate reflection questions, not answers 3. Share one real example of AI saving time—make it visible Key Insight: AI isn’t the change. Teaching people how to think is. Guest: Sean O’She a Middle School Principal | Massachusetts

People in this episode

Host: Dan Thomas

Guest: Sean O’Shea

Topics covered

• AI in education
• teacher training
• school culture
• pedagogy
• staff development

Keywords

• AI
• education
• teacher adoption
• school culture
• professional development
• pedagogy
• reflection questions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Massachusetts

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