AI + Teacher = Hybrid Superpower

Building Systems to Reduce Burnout & Work Smarter

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Strand Description

Strand Takeaways

Strand outcomes

Strand Leaders

Strand Description

Teacher burnout is at an all-time high; however, small and meaningful changes can make a massive impact. This workshop is designed to help educators identify the daily stressors that drain their time and energy. We will then use AI and simple system-building strategies to create practical solutions that work.

Over the course of three days, participants will:

Pinpoint a key frustration or inefficiency in their teaching routine.
Use AI and “First Principles thinking” to design a customized system that makes their work easier.
Walk away with a ready-to-use tool—whether that’s an AI-powered grading workflow, an automated lesson-planning system, a smarter way to handle emails, or something else that saves time and reduces stress.
Learn how to integrate these solutions into their existing tech setup (Google Suite, LMS, or whatever tools are already used).
Gain strategies for long-term sustainability—so relief will last far beyond the workshop.

This workshop is not about adding more to a teacher’s plate—it’s about making small, high-impact shifts that lighten the load. By focusing on real-world challenges and building practical solutions, educators will leave with something they can use immediately to reclaim time, reduce anxiety, and work smarter.

Strand Takeaways

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

Walk away with a personalized, AI-powered system that directly addresses one of their biggest daily pain points.
Gain a practical, ready-to-use tool that makes their job easier—something that will immediately reduce stress and increase efficiency.
Understand how to integrate AI and automation into their workflow in a way that fits their school environment and tech ecosystem.
Apply the WOOP framework (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan) to identify obstacles and create actionable strategies for improvement.
Leave with a roadmap for sustainable productivity, ensuring that their new system continues to evolve and support them.

Strand Outcomes

As a result of this workshop, participants will:

Develop problem-solving strategies using First Principles Thinking, breaking challenges down to their fundamental truths rather than relying on pre-existing models.
Design and implement systems that reduce workload and stress in their teaching practice over the long term.
Use the WOOP framework beyond the workshop to continuously refine and improve their teaching strategies and personal productivity.
Gain a deeper understanding of AI as a support tool, using it strategically to enhance teaching rather than add complexity.
Foster long-term resilience by building sustainable habits and workflows that prevent burnout.

Strand Leaders

NAdia Rioux | Social Studies/Science Teacher | Tripp Middle School
Turner, Maine

Nadia Rioux is a passionate educator with over 15 years of experience teaching social studies and science at Tripp Middle School in Turner, Maine. Committed to both student success and educator well-being, she specializes in developing sustainable, tech-driven teaching practices that reduce workload and prevent burnout. Holding a Master of Education in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction from the University of Maine and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Arizona State University, Nadia actively explores the role of AI in education to streamline instructional planning, personalize learning, and help teachers work smarter, not harder. She has leveraged AI tools like ChatGPT-4, Canva, MagicSchool.ai, Gemini, Khanmigo, etc., to create practical solutions that enhance engagement while giving educators back valuable time. In AI + Teacher: Hybrid Superpower, she looks forward to helping fellow educators design their own AI-powered systems to reduce stress, increase efficiency, and build a more sustainable teaching practice.

Neal Rioux | English Teacher | Yarmouth High School | Yarmouth, MAine

neal_rioux@yarmouthschools.org

Neal Rioux has spent his career teaching ELA to a mix of “wonderfully weird” middle schoolers and “high drama” high schoolers, earning plenty of “You brave soul” comments along the way. He holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Virginia, an M.Ed. in Secondary Education from Arizona State University, and an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology from the University of Maine. Passionate about helping educators work smarter, not harder, Neal explores how AI can reduce teacher burnout, enhance instructional efficiency, and free up time for meaningful student connections. After receiving a positive response to last year’s Summer Technology Institute workshop, he is excited to return with AI + Teacher: Hybrid Superpower, where he looks forward to helping educators design AI-powered systems that make teaching more sustainable and less stressful.

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