A Classroom Without AI: One Teacher’s Approach to Fostering Critical Thinking
In a world where artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into education, one Texas teacher is challenging the trend by going back to basics. Chanea Bond, who instructs American literature and composition at Southwest High School in Fort Worth, has opted to exclude AI tools from her classroom, favoring traditional pen-and-paper methods.
Image credit: Nitashia Johnson for NPR
Bond’s classroom is filled with stacks of worksheets and notebooks, eschewing the digital norm of laptops and tablets. “If you walk into almost any one of my classes today, you will see that all of my students are handwriting,” Bond notes, emphasizing her commitment to maintaining an AI-free environment.
Her decision stems from a desire to ensure students develop their critical thinking and writing skills independently. “A lot of people say to me: ‘Aren’t you afraid that they’re going to get behind?'” she shares. “I know that when my students leave my class that they know how to think and they know how to write.”
Educators’ Perspectives on AI in Schools
While Bond’s approach is to avoid AI, recent surveys indicate a different trend among educators. A July 2025 poll by the EdWeek Research Center revealed that approximately 60% of teachers have incorporated AI into their classrooms to some extent (source).
Initially, Bond toyed with the idea of using AI by allowing students to generate thesis statements with the technology. However, she found the results disappointing. “They didn’t know the material because they had outsourced that level of thinking,” Bond explains, underscoring her belief that students need to build foundational skills without AI assistance.
Student Reactions
Students in Bond’s class have had mixed reactions to her AI-free teaching methods. Junior Meyah Alvarez recalls being puzzled by the requirement to handwrite assignments but now appreciates the cognitive engagement it fosters. “I feel like it actually does get my brain thinking,” she says.
Another student, sophomore Eligh Ellison, admits to using AI for brainstorming character names in his writing but supports Bond’s classroom ban. He values the opportunity to develop his own ideas without AI’s interference.
Image credit: Nitashia Johnson for NPR
The Broader Educational Landscape
While Bond maintains her stance on AI, other educators, such as Brett Vogelsinger from Central Bucks High School South, are experimenting with its use. Vogelsinger encourages responsible AI usage, allowing students to use it on assignments if they disclose how they used it. He aims to teach students the difference between beneficial and detrimental AI applications.
Meanwhile, school districts like Miami-Dade County Public Schools are embracing AI, providing students with access to advanced tools like Google’s Gemini chatbot (source). Furthermore, New Jersey has invested over a million dollars in grants to promote AI use in classrooms (source), and federal initiatives are encouraging AI education across the country.
Despite these trends, Bond remains steadfast in her belief that cultivating independent thinking and writing skills outweighs any potential benefits AI might offer her students. “It’s less harmful to me to make sure that they can do the things without the AI,” she asserts.
