Reclaiming Time for What Matters Most: Human Connection in the AI Era

Written by Michael Coppotelli, Fmr. Deputy Superintendent, Archdiocese of NY, and Fmr. NCEA Board Member; and Jess Cola, Private and Charter Lead, Google for Education

“Schools are not called to follow the pace of the digital world, but to offer that which the digital sphere by itself cannot provide, namely a shared time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships.”
—Pope Leo, Magnifica Humanitas

As educators, our most impactful work happens not behind a screen or a stack of paperwork, but face-to-face with our students, “sharing time for learning and developing trustworthy relationships,” as Pope Leo reminds us in Magnifica Humanitas. However, the endless cycle of lesson preparation, administrative tasks, and differentiation often leaves little time to develop the whole child, something that Catholic schools are known for. We call students by name and give the individual attention every “future saint” deserves. What if we as educators could reclaim nearly 37% of our prep time and reinvest it directly into building stronger relationships with your students?

Research & Real Life: AI as a Companion for Educators

Catholic school teachers are taking control of their time! Recent research from the Salesians’ “Go Beyond Traditional Education” project highlights how AI tools like Gemini are transforming the teaching profession from task-heavy administration toward a “Teacher-as-Companion” model:

• Massive Time Savings: Teachers achieved an average time savings of 36.86% in instructional material preparation, with 68.7% of surveyed teachers noting significant overall time savings.
• Reinvesting Hours into Relationships: 40% of teachers reported better classroom time management, using their freed-up hours to listen to students and provide individualized, human attention.
• Unlocking Educational Equity: For 41.7% of educators, the informed use of AI directly improved outcomes for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) by rapidly generating differentiated tasks, visual aids, and multi-sensory resources.

“It is necessary to support the ongoing formation of teachers throughout their professional lives, so that they can engage positively with new technologies, helping students to use them responsibly, critically, and creatively, rather than passively succumbing to their influence.”
—Pope Leo, Magnifica Humanitas

Turn Insight Into Action: Join Us for a Day of AI Learning!

Take the next step in reclaiming your teaching time by attending the Google AI Educator Series Badge-a-thon: Day of AI Learning!

Google AI Educator Series Badge-a-Thon

• When: Saturday, September 19 | 9 AM – 7 PM ET. Add to your calendar.
• Format: It’s 100% drop-in friendly! Organized into snackable 30-minute blocks—stay for 15 minutes or 2 hours.
• Perks: Earn verified, ISTE-aligned micro-credentials (and potential PD/CEU clock hours) live on stream, and receive an exclusive Google AI Educator badge mailed to your door!

Exclusive NCEA Bonus: Join the NCEA Google Educator community to earn your badges and learn best practices alongside your Catholic educator peers!