Can AI Replace Teachers? Dr. Catlin Tucker on Smarter Lesson Design and UDL

Dr. Catlin Tucker joins me to discuss designing better lessons with AI. She explains how teachers can do this without losing their essential human touch. Catlin shares insights on Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Additionally, she discusses creating meaningful student choice. Importantly, she shares how AI can elevate lesson planning when used with intentionality and creativity.

Furthermore, we discuss the limits of “AI lesson generators” and how to get better quality results (and some recent research that should concern us.) We explore what true differentiation looks like. Also, we explain why great teaching still depends on relationships, empathy, and design thinking. Catlin also shares how teachers can see themselves differently in the age of AI—not as people who can be replaced, but as architects and facilitators of learning who bring something no machine ever could.

I loved this conversation with Dr. Catlin Tucker. She always inspires me with her knowledge and her practical view of the classroom.

This episode is sponsored by Clixo, the remarkable STEAM toy for makerspaces, elementary classrooms, and homes. Check out my recent review of Clixo.

Watch on YouTube: Dr. Catlin Tucker on AI Lesson Design and Teacher Importance

Listen to the Podcast

Download the show here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/10minuteteacher/918-catlin-tucker-AIand_Lesson_Planningoptimized.mp

Key Takeaways

1. Use AI for meaningful lesson planning
AI can help us design better lessons, but the goal isn’t to automate teaching. It’s to create learning experiences that are intentional and inclusive.

2. Avoid automating what defines great teaching
Empathy, relationships, and human insight can’t be delegated to AI. These are at the heart of what makes teachers irreplaceable.

3. Build lessons that honor every learner’s strengths
By blending UDL principles with AI, we can meet the diverse needs of students more effectively than ever before.

4. Teachers are the architects of learning
AI can assist, but only teachers can build the relationships and community that make classrooms come alive.

About Dr. Catlin Tucker

Dr. Catlin Tucker is an education expert, bestselling author, and international speaker with 24 years of experience in education. Named Sonoma County Teacher of the Year in 2010, she earned a Master’s in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a doctorate in learning technologies from Pepperdine University.

Dr. Tucker partners with schools and districts worldwide to reimagine instruction, shifting from traditional teacher-led models to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), blended learning, and student-led strategies. Her work focuses on actively engaging students, improving learning outcomes, and designing more sustainable, equitable instructional practices that empower both educators and learners.

Dr. Tucker has written over 10 books on innovative approaches to teaching and learning. She also hosts the popular podcast The Balance, which explores strategies to make teaching and learning more sustainable and impactful.

Catlin is active on X  @Catlin_Tucker and Instagram  @CatlinTucker

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored podcast episode.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”