Atif reflects what we value most at Ardingly College — meaningful connections and a genuine understanding of every student as an individual.
Yesterday, while exploring a mall in West Sussex, I had an incredibly unexpected encounter: I bumped into a former student I hadn’t seen in over fifteen years, someone I taught back in Egypt. The odds of running into each other in a shop thousands of miles away made us both pause, needing to double-check our identities!
Once we confirmed who we were, memories flooded back. I recalled their bubbly personality, and she (Monet-Paris Alleyne-Budge) remembered my go-to teaching style. We exchanged stories about our lives since our last class, a delightful snapshot in time that reminded me of the human connections that education fosters.
For me this encounter reinforced two certainties that often get overshadowed by the noise of tech hype:
1. Trust is key: The bond we built in the classroom has stood the test of over a decade, spanning a continent and evolving careers. No algorithm can replicate this kind of rapport.
2. Human interaction fuels learning: Our brief conversation was filled with anecdotes, laughter, and genuine curiosity about each other’s lives, elements that AI-generated lesson plans can never replicate.
This brief encounter not only rekindled a personal connection but also solidified my belief that AI should serve as an assistant in education, not a replacement. It has the potential to free teachers from repetitive administrative tasks, provide data-driven insights, and offer diverse perspectives. However, the essence of education, the mentor-mentee relationship, those spontaneous “aha!” moments, and shared laughter, will always remain deeply human.
Let’s harness technology to amplify these connections rather than replace them. After all, the most effective AI we can create is the one that helps us become better humans.
Keep humans at the center of any change.
This post is dedicated to all the students I have taught over the past two decades. Embrace the journey, and remember that there are no shortcuts to meaningful growth.
Atif Hussain is Director of Digital Learning at Ardingly College
