This summer in Chicago, a group of educators gathered not to talk about standards or scores, but to reclaim something deeper: the soul of teaching. Primavera’s 9th grade Algebra 1 teacher, Roy Roundy, came away from the summit fired up & is ready to bring fresh ideas straight into the online learning space while embracing AI. 
The InspirED Summit, hosted by Breathe for Change, explored the full spectrum of human intelligence:
- 🧠 Cognitive (thinking)
- 💚 Emotional (feeling)
- 🧘 Somatic (body-based)
- 👥 Social (connection)
- 💫 Universal (Impact)
The summit explored this: What does it mean to be an educator in a world where teacher and student burnout is at an all-time high and machines can do the thinking?
Education is out of balance. Too much cognitive focus and not enough space for the body, heart, and community. In online education, these challenges feel even more intense. No hallway conversations, no reading body language, no spontaneous moments of connection. Just screens, schedules, and the constant pressure to keep students engaged through pixels.
A whopping 87% of teachers have reported feelings of stress and burnout on a moderate to severe level. When teachers are overwhelmed and ungrounded, students feel it. Mirror neurons do their thing. Nervous systems tighten and the classroom becomes reactive instead of responsive.
This is where artificial intelligence can actually elevate the learning environment. As AI takes on more administrative tasks and cognitive lift, it frees teachers to realign, decompress and step fully into the irreplaceable role as mentors.
What if technology could help us teach more wholly and show up with more presence?
AI can shift the method, but not the mission. Roy emphasizes,
“We, as educators, can take this opportunity to holistically help the students. The human parts of teaching- presence, empathy, encouragement, and guidance- can’t be automated. That’s where our magic is. AI is opening the door for us to lean into that magic.”
Roy is creating moments that connect students to real humanness and finding opportunities to incorporate other aspects of human intelligence:
- Mindful movement breaks to integrate learning
- Breathwork to reset focus
- Personal storytelling & dreaming big
- Opportunities for authentic expression
- Building supportive, emotionally attuned classroom culture
“I want students to experience how learning can live in the body, emotions, and community- not just in the mind.”
For fellow online educators feeling overwhelmed by technological change, Roy’s message is clear: Don’t fight the evolution; use AI as a tool and focus on how you can evolve as a mentor beyond subjects. “Grounding ourselves—through mindful practices, honest reflection, or peer connection—helps us return to the joy of teaching. It protects us from burnout and models emotional regulation, resilience, and purpose for our students.”
Teaching is more than instruction; it’s presence. Even on the hardest days, students find a way to show up. Roy reflects that the courage students of Primavera deserve more than just content. “I’m inspired by the quiet bravery of students who show up even when life outside the screen is chaotic. Their resilience fuels my commitment. I’m endlessly moved by the growth that happens when students feel safe, challenged, and cared for.”
The future of education isn’t about choosing between human connection and artificial intelligence. It’s about using AI as a tool to support what we’ve always known matters most: teaching the whole human, not just filling minds with information 💡
