U.S. high school teacher quits job due to disruptive technology

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An American high school teacher said she is fed up with students scrolling social media and using artificial intelligence to complete assignments.

The Grade 10 English teacher announced in a nearly 10-minute TikTok rant last week that she is quitting her job after two years.

“I’m actually leaving the profession,” Hannah Maria said in the video, which is now private following intense media attention.

“I am quitting. Friday is my last day. This will not be my classroom after Friday,” she added, according to Britain’s Daily Mail.

In the video, the teacher said technology has ruined education after revealing her school district hands out iPads to every student from Grades 6-12.

“These kids don’t know how to read,” she said. “Because they’ve had things read to them, or they can just click a button and have something read out loud. Their attention spans are waning. Everything is high stimulation. They can scroll in less than a minute.”

She also complained that students are not motivated to write paragraphs on paper and that they throw tantrums for not being able to type out their assignments. She said they just copy answers from the internet or use AI.

“They don’t care about making a difference in the world. They don’t care how to write a resume or a cover letter. They just have these devices in their hands that they think will get them through the rest of their life.”

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However, since making the video private due to news outlets reposting it without her permission, Hannah Maria explained in another video Tuesday that her intent was not to shame students or that she didn’t believe in their potential.

“That was never my intent, and I hope that I am clear in saying that it is the TECHNOLOGY and AI that is enabling their behaviour and lack of motivation,” she wrote in the caption.

Although the educator didn’t take back what she said about her students, she would like to see proper guidance and tools in the classroom.

“I am sorry to any student who I may have taught who saw that video,” she said, adding that there were many bright students who were eager to learn.