The act of remixing  to me is essential aspect of effective teaching practice. As educators, we are constantly evolving, because our students and the technology we use to support their learning are ever-changing. This constant evolution requires adaptability, and that often comes through collaboration.

Teachers frequently find themselves teaching new subjects (I’ve taught 21 in the last 3 years, barf.) or navigating unfamiliar curriculum, and the best way to ensure student success is by reaching out to our community of educators. It has always seemed silly to me when educators hoard or hide their resources, I’ve never really understood it, but maybe some do it out of fear they aren’t “up to par.” The ultimate goal of education is student success — how can that be achieved if we aren’t sharing our ideas and supporting one another? The quality of a resource should not matter as much as the act of sharing itself, even if a shared resource isn’t perfect, it can spark new ideas or be adapted to fit the needs of our own classrooms.

Personally, I am constantly turning to my community of teachers for ideas and resources. Rarely do I use something exactly as it was given to me because I adapt and adjust to meet the needs of my students and to reflect my own teaching style. If I were expected to create everything from scratch, I know that I would quickly burn out. I don’t think that collaboration is a shortcut, I think it’s a way to ensure that both teachers and students thrive.

The emergence of AI tools, such as MagicSchool.AI, has further shifted how I approach remixing. These platforms allow me to input outcomes, learning objectives, and ideas, generating worksheets, assignments, and lesson plans in literally seconds. I treat these AI-generated resources the same way I would any resource from a colleague, as a starting point to be adapted for my students. While AI has reduced the amount I reach out to others for resources, it hasn’t caused me to completely stop reaching out to my community of teachers to ensure I am doing my possible best with my classroom and allowing me to spend more time refining materials to best meet the needs of my students.

The Saskatchewan Curriculum itself is a form of remixing — a shared starting point that teachers expand from to create personalized, engaging learning experiences. By fostering a community mindset, where knowledge and resources are freely exchanged, we ensure the success of all students and prevent educators from feeling isolated. We are a community of learners, constantly evolving alongside our students. Teaching is not a solitary practice — it thrives on collaboration, adaptation, and the shared goal of student success.