—— In the kind of teaching that I do, you have to fight AI to get what you want. ——

I develop science lessons tailored to the interests of an individual student — right now a middle schooler and an elementary schooler. When I do this, I repeatedly ask Claude to check for accuracy and to flag its bold claims. I compare what Claude says with what I know from my own rigorous education. I demand that Claude does not contradict itself. And I capitalize on the wonder that AI makes possible: When Claude said that roly-polies are crustaceans, I harnessed that fact for my elementary schooler into a lesson built around my central idea — a table comparing pillbugs, shrimp, and lobsters.

My lessons for the middle schooler cover physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering, and they emphasize cause and effect: how bicycle gears exploit torque, why runners lean into a turn to eliminate torque, why the pelvis is a Class 1 lever that must stay horizontal during a powerful soccer kick. When I ask Claude to propose scenarios that I can teach — “suggest cool things about soccer” — I sift for what is genuinely surprising. What inspires me as the teacher has inspired the student, who is already curious.

10 Jul 2026 at 11:00 PM in Houston