Building AI for STRONG Teachers: Course Construction Update

I'm building something I wish had existed when I first started exploring AI as an educator: a course that helps teachers use AI thoughtfully, sustainably, and in ways that actually align with their values.

Not a dump of prompts. Not pressure to adopt every shiny new tool. Just a structured way to figure out what AI should and shouldn't do in your practice before you start playing with it.

Here's what I got done today.

The Foundation: START HERE

Every course needs solid onboarding. Teachers joining AI for STRONG Teachers inside The STRONG Teacher's Lounge will find the first four pages:

Welcome & Course Overview sets the tone right away. This isn't about becoming a tech expert. It's about being a teacher who uses technology wisely—on your terms, grounded in your values, focused on what actually matters. The course helps teachers reclaim time, reduce mental load, and build systems that protect their energy rather than drain it.

How to Use This Course gives teachers permission to skip around. Phase 1 (Foundation) is required—you've got to build the philosophy before you grab the tools. But Phase 2 (STRONG Framework Integration) is totally flexible. Drowning in busywork? Start with Optimize. Completely burned out? Hit Recovery & Renewal first. Battling perfectionism? There's a whole module for that. You don't have to do everything. Pick what you need most right now.

Community Guidelines sets the culture. No AI shaming—whether you're all-in or still skeptical, you belong here. No fake positivity. No pretending this stuff is easy. Just real talk about what's working, what isn't, and how we're all figuring this out as we go.

Your STRONG Teacher AI Philosophy Tracker is the living document teachers will come back to over and over. They'll write their AI Philosophy Statement in Module 2, paste it in here, and check back quarterly to reflect, adjust, and see how their thinking has changed. It has:

• Space for the initial Philosophy Statement
• Four quarterly check-ins with reflection questions
• Version tracking so you can watch yourself grow
• Red flags to watch for (guilt, dependency, avoiding meaningful work)
• Room to celebrate wins

The tracker hammers home a key idea: your relationship with AI is going to change. That's not you failing. That's Kaizen—small, continuous improvements over time.

Built to Last: The Evergreen Design Philosophy

AI tools are going to change. Companies will rebrand. Features will disappear, and new ones will pop up.

But the principles teachers learn here? Those stick around.

I designed this course to stay relevant:

• Learn the CRAFT framework for prompting, not "here's how to use ChatGPT."
• Philosophy Statements work with any tool
• Prompts are just text that'll work anywhere
• We talk about "AI assistants" instead of pushing specific brands
• The STRONG Framework doesn't depend on what tech exists

You won't need to redo this course when the next big AI thing drops. You'll just apply what they already know to whatever's new.

Why This Matters

Teachers are exhausted. They're being told AI will either save education or destroy it. They're experimenting quietly, feeling guilty about it, wondering if they're doing something wrong.

This course says: there's no "wrong" here. There's just intentional versus scattered. Aligned with what you believe versus fighting against it. Sustainable versus one more thing burning you out.

AI for STRONG Teachers helps you get intentional. It helps you draw clear lines, build real systems, and use AI in ways that protect what makes you good at this job, rather than chipping away at it.

That's today's progress. A foundation that says: you don't need to transform into some tech-forward version of yourself. You just need tools that work for the teacher you already are.

More coming as I keep building. This is just the start.

AI for STRONG Teachers is being built inside The STRONG Teacher's Lounge, a community for educators committed to sustainable, values-driven teaching practices. The course launches in phases as modules are completed and tested.