MAKING IT EASIER TO BE A BETTER TEACHER

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

Here’s our weekly roundup of interesting education stories from around the world. Click each link to dive deeper:

• There’s been a development in the Canadian school boards vs social media giants lawsuit.

• China is betting on AI being part of the future - primary students will need to take some mandatory courses.

• Alabama test scores have jumped from the worst to almost the best - here’s their secret.

TECH TALK

You’re drowning in emails

Between parent contacts, student questions, and administrative updates, the never-ending stream of messages can take up time that could be spent planning lessons, grading, or - most importantly - recharging. 

The Solution: Serif.ai

This AI-powered email assistant is designed to help educators manage their inbox more efficiently. 

Unlike generic email tools, Serif.ai understands the unique needs of teachers, crafting professional, context-aware responses in seconds.

The tool takes a few days to learn how you write and reply (and to who), and once it’s ready, it will have a draft response waiting for every email you receive before you even look at it. 

Teachers can approve, tweak, or send responses with one click, ensuring efficient yet personalized communication. 

How About YOUR Classroom?

We can sometimes forget that just because we spend most of our time in the classroom, it doesn’t mean that we don’t also need lots of time for the administrative parts of our role.

Here are some strategies to save you time this week with Serif.ai:

Strategies

• Streamline Parent Communication: Serif.ai can generate quick, consistent responses to common parent inquiries, such as homework expectations or upcoming deadlines, minimizing repetitive work.

• Manage Administrative Emails with Ease: Whether responding to data requests or compliance reports, Serif.ai summarizes key points from past conversations and drafts professional replies, reducing unnecessary back-and-forth.

• Reduce Inbox Overload: By flagging urgent messages, summarizing long email threads, and drafting responses, Serif.ai helps teachers process emails faster- freeing up time for instruction and planning.

Like most apps that save teachers hours per week, it’s unfortunately not free. Plans start at just below $20 USD/month, but depending on how much time you spend in your inbox, this may be a small price to pay for the time you’ll save. 

While it doesn’t replace the personal touch required for sensitive conversations, it significantly reduces the routine workload of managing emails. 

By using Serif.ai, educators can spend less time drafting responses and more time doing what they do best - teaching.

BRAINY BITS

Is your screen time rubbing off on your students?

We tell kids to put their phones down—but are we leading by example?

This week, we examine a study that explores how adult screen habits impact early adolescents' consumption of R-rated movies and mature-rated video games.

Just because most of the data is coming from parent phone use, does not mean that us teachers aren’t also included as adult role models here.

The Study: Association between adult media practices and consumptions

Using data from over 10,000 adolescents (ages 12-13), researchers analyzed how parenting and adult practices around screen time shaped media consumption habits.

Parents completed self-reported surveys on their own screen use, monitoring strategies, and how they use devices with their kids as well. 

While kids anonymously reported on what they were watching and engaging with online.

Results were then compared and analyzed.

The Results:

Though parenting styles and household makeups varied, researchers found clear patterns in media exposure:

• Bedroom and mealtime screen use: Students who had unrestricted screen access in their rooms or during meals were significantly more likely to watch and interact with mature content.

• Monitoring: Adults who set clear rules, checked media content, or co-viewed media with kids meant they were far less likely to engage with mature content.

• Punishment: Adults who frequently took screens away as punishment led to kids consuming more mature media, possibly due to increased curiosity.

• Adult habits matter: Students whose parents frequently used screens around them were more likely to engage in unrestricted media consumption themselves.

In Your Classroom:

If you’re noticing students discussing mature content, the research suggests it’s often a reflection of home media habits rather than personal rebellion.

Here’s how this research impacts your classroom:

Strategies

• Model responsible screen use: Adult habits influence kids more than rules do. If you’re setting limits in the classroom, stick to them yourself.

• Avoid using screens as punishment: Taking away devices can backfire, increasing a child’s desire to engage with restricted content.

• Encourage structured screen time: Consistent limits and monitoring—not bans—are the most effective way to manage kids' digital exposure.

It’s not about eliminating screens, but rather teaching balance. If adults model mindful screen use, kids are far more likely to follow suit - at least according to this study!

REFERENCES

This week’s issue adapts information from the following sources:

Tech Talk:

Serif.ai. (2025). Escape from email jail. Retrieved from https://www.serif.ai/ 

Brainy Bits:

Nagata, J.M., Li, K., Sui, S.S. et al. Associations between media parenting practices and early adolescent consumption of R-rated movies and mature-rated video games. BMC Pediatr 25, 90 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05367-w