In this spin I am challenging AI hype and reminding us that people not platforms drive real change. In an era where AI headlines much of the educational landscape, I want to recentre human conversations as the catalysts of change in today's classroom. Real change doesn't come from a chatbot. It comes from the student who shares a story about their life, the hallway conversation between educators, the phone call from a parent who is worried about their child, the handwritten thank you card that brings tears to your eyes. It comes from the human commitment to do better, to restart in a good way, and the knowledge that education is a human centred enterprise which is deeply rooted in the ethic of care and compassion for all. It comes from the educator and the student co-learning how to navigate a new digital landscape, where AI may be triggering change, but it’s the humans who are leading it.

Education is one big chain reaction. I recognize that my knowledge of chemical reactions is quite basic, I do not have a scientific or mathematical background, but what I do know is that every time humans connect, or disconnect, something happens physiologically and emotionally. All interactions in schools are shaped by motivations, driven by emotions and positioned by social dynamics. Schools are the mecca of human socialization. This is true on the positive and negative side of relational chemistry. Change in education doesn't begin in boardrooms, it is rooted in the everyday actions of thoughtful educators, support staff, students and school communities. There are catalysts for change in every corner of schools, professionals who are reimagining how redesign instruction to better support the achievement of all, parents who are advocating for increased collaboration and partnership, students who are demanding new ways to engage in learning. Sparking innovation in times when the work in Canadian schools may feel heavy requires thoughtful, compassionate and strategic leadership. This happens at all levels in the educational system, not behind closed doors at the top. Anyone in education can be a catalyst for change. Leadership is not a title, it is a mindset.

Sometimes things have to break a little before they can get better. Growth often begins in the struggle, in the messy, uncertain spaces where clarity hasn’t yet arrived. Education is no different. Too many educators lose time searching for the next fix, the perfect program, or the silver-bullet solution, overlooking what’s already in front of us - the people. What if the real spark for change isn’t found in code or algorithms, but in the relationships, conversations, and mindsets we cultivate every day? I think the answer lies within us, as we commit to doing better in community to meet the needs of all in our students. The following five catalysts highlight how small, intentional shifts, grounded in people, not programs, can lead to powerful change in Canadian schools.

Catalyst #1: Disruptive Moments

Unexpected moments and intentional pushes can change the trajectory of learning. Think of a time when something happened in your school history that you didn't expect. I vividly remember my grade ten English Literature teacher, Mrs. Mallam, reading Edgar Allen Poe's Tell-Tale Heart on a snowy Monday morning. I remember her voice as she read Poe's story aloud and my surprise as I began to wrap my fifteen year old mind around the unreliable narration of the tale alongside of the realization that not everything is as it appears to be. More than the creepy story, it was the people moment, it was Mrs, Mallam in her high heels, soft colour suit and perfect blonde hair surprising our class as we delved into literary analysis skills. She was intentional in her teaching as she provoked us to reconsider the perspective of the narrator. Mrs. Mallam didn't let us stew in shock or fear, she pushed us to explore the consequences of unethical actions, alongside of Poe's use of suspense and atmosphere to build a story that disrupted the "once upon a time" tales of coincidental relationships and happy endings. So how is this a catalytic moment? Well, Mrs. Mallam nailed perspective taking on that wintery, east coast morning. She pushed my young mind into a place where exploring and unpacking the why behind what other's say, think, do, and write. This unexpected experience became a turning point for innovation for me as a growing reader and writer curious about the inner workings of the human mind and why people behave as they as do. What if students encountered more transformative sparks, disruptive moments that challenge assumptions and ignite new ways of seeing others and their choices?

Catalyst #2: Micro-Innovations

Low cost, no cost is a growing theme in public education. How can we do more to ignite change in a decreasing fiscal landscape? It could be my inner Pollyanna surfacing but I think there are many innovations in education that have little to no price tag. Small, low risk experiments like changing classroom environments, mixing student groups, inviting think tanks of cross system educators together to share and reimagine structures can lead to big shifts in human engagement and learning. Think of a time when you were involved in an adult learning experience that has haunted you, now ask yourself whether it meets the threshold of a catalystic moment in your mind. If not, finding and creating these moments is up to us, let's shift and do things differently. Recently I had the privilege of joining a grade seven school team engaged in a PATH. While there was debate about whether this was too early to engage in future planning, the team decided to push the innovation button and went outside the box. It was a people-powered moment; student, parents, and educators came together to create an experience where this remarkable student could share his voice, hopes, and dreams. In doing so, the system learned to question arbitrary timelines for future planning and recognized the value of person-centred approaches, advocacy, and informed decision-making, regardless of age. What if the small things, the micro innovations, you try each day are actually the sparks that ignite big change?

Catalyst #3: Learning from the Margins

Thinking about the full spectrum of students and humans in our schools requires a willingness to ignite "sparky" conversations about values and beliefs. Inclusive education is a never ending journey of finding better ways to support the achievement of all students, especially those on the margins. Believing that all humans have unlimited potential is an essential part of all meaning all in education. Some of the most powerful innovations in education don’t come from the spotlight, they emerge quietly, in the margins. Over the past two decades, I’ve witnessed countless moments where students with diverse learning needs or backgrounds have inspired the most creative, transformative solutions. Recently an Education Assistant shared her day with me as she travelled from multiple work place experiences with students supporting their just in time learning. Her day was filled with assistive technology, volunteer moments, visits to the food bank, and deep human connections at every turn. While her story is unique and her dedication to students truly exceptional, she is one of many Canadian educators who rise to challenges adapting, reimagining, and persisting in the most complex spaces, often without recognition. We need to do better at an inclusive systems level to tell the stories of the quiet, unseen work as we learn from the edges. What if the margins aren’t just the edges of change, but the catalysts of where change begins—where lived experiences, relationships, and voices spark transformation?

Catalyst #4: Cross Pollination of Ideas

Mixing and mingling in education matters. When educators of diverse roles and perspectives come together with intention, the potential for change is immense; if we can look past metrics and see the human heart of the work. I love watching a room full of primary and secondary educators light up as they engage in professional reflection about what they are living and breathing in our classrooms. There is something electric about bringing ideas from across our K-12 system, other disciplines or industries together as sparks for innovation in education. Those interpersonal conversations and opportunities for dialogue are sparks for identifying areas for change reshaping classroom dynamics and disrupting traditional "this is what we do" thought lines. What if we invested more time in cross-pollinating human experiences creating space to evolve our educational practices for the betterment of all students, and positioning ourselves as catalysts for change?

Catalyst #5: Tech as a Tool

Finally, I want to position tech is a powerful tool in educational change not as a crutch for sparking innovation. We need to be very careful for the old chicken and egg adage when it comes to the power of generative AI. As we continue to learn how to use technology to amplify creativity and collaboration, we need to be careful that we aren't just digitizing traditional methods. Quality education requires using every tool imaginable to assist educators with finding efficiences and spending their time where it matters most, with students. Anything that take us away from our core focus of student engagement, teaching and learning should be questioned. I use AI to assist my thinking and scaffold efficencies in many aspects of my worklife, it has become an invaluable tool but it does not replace my desire to connect personally with students, staff and families. I look at the work that my teenage daughters are doing in our classrooms, and their ability to use technology as a tool to fuel their creativity. It is next level and evidence that their teachers are finding ways to balance human judgement, creativity and pedagogy at the core of modern classroom instruction. What if the real innovation in education isn’t the technology itself, but the human imagination that dares to use it differently?

I am really excited about the work ongoing in Canadian schools. The catalysts for change are all around us. School districts that engage in design thinking, applying empathy alongside of ideation can solve challenges and foster educational cultures where human connections continue to be the true drivers of educational change. In the end it is not the technology that transforms education, it is the people in real time, in real life, who choose to use it with courage, care and curiousity.

Author's Note: Gen-AI tools were used in parts of this latest spin to assist with reader clarity and writer conciseness. A Monday morning shout out to the helpful co-editing chatbots out there!