When A Robot Takes Over Our Class

On a sunny day, Devin was about to enter his classroom when he saw something peculiar happening in there. Students were sitting where they should be. Every stationery and object in the classroom was in its usual place, but the teacher had disappeared. Instead, a human-like robot took the teacher’s place and interacted with students.

Carefully, Devin entered the classroom, while the robot slowly turned its head towards Devin. Frightened, Devin said, “Go..od..Mor..ni..ng, Ms..Wha..t’s..you..r..na..me, by..th..e..wa..y?” The robot seemed to detect Devin’s fear of it, as it said, “You could call me Ms. Janelle, and no worries about being frightened. I am your substitute teacher for the next few days while your teacher is on holiday.” Devin was so surprised that this robot had a feeling that felt like a human and an outstanding understanding.

As the lesson began, Ms. Janelle didn’t just write on the board—she projected glowing diagrams into the air. A math problem unfolded into a 3D puzzle, which spun slowly and gently above the students’ desks. She could answer questions much faster than his usual teacher, Ms.Louisa. However, she also paused to ask the class how they would solve it, which encouraged students to think and create rather than just find solutions.

At first, Devin stayed quiet in this class, still uneasy about a new teacher who was a robot. But when Ms. Janelle asked him to share his idea, he listened carefully, nodding as if he were truly processing his thoughts. “That’s a great example, Devin,” she said warmly. For the first time, Devin felt less like he was talking to a robot, but a real human.

By the end of the day, Devin was satisfied with how extremely well a robot could teach. Although this robot, Ms. Janelle, is only a substitute, she taught somewhat better than his usual teacher.