Everyone has different rules.

When it comes to AI, there may be only one thing teachers can agree on: we do not have all the answers about AI use in today's classrooms.

As a result, each classroom takes a different approach. One allows AI in limited circumstances, another bans it completely, another ignores the topic altogether, and yet another leverages it as a core component of learning. The result? Students spend much of their energy trying to figure out the rules.

The irony is that students are in the same boat. Research suggests many students are uncertain about AI use and are looking for clear expectations, consistent norms, open conversations, and guidance that helps them use these tools responsibly (College Board; Schwartz and Diliberti).

This is the conversation we can’t escape.

If you’ve stepped foot in a school’s teachers’ lounge in the last few years, you’ve probably heard the words cheating and AI mentioned more than a handful—perhaps a hundred—times. Not without reason. Generative AI has dramatically changed the landscape of education at every level. Teachers are grappling with this seismic shift while trying to keep up with a job that is already overwhelming.

While I share these concerns, I want to pose a different perspective:  let’s shift our attention—and our invaluable energy—away from cheating and toward missed learning opportunities.