What if the most powerful shift AI offers teachers isn’t complex tech—but a single clarifying question?

This week on AmpED to 11, we sit down with Merissa Sadler-Holder, a nationally recognized educator turned AI trailblazer working with schools across the U.S. to not just integrate AI tools, but to redesign what’s possible in classrooms. Founder of Teaching With Machines and a two-time ASU+GSV “Leading Woman in AI” honoree, Marissa knows firsthand how a simple tool—like rewriting a fiery parent email with AI—can unlock a radical mindset shift.

How do we go from time-starved, overworked educators to empowered architects of learning experiences? How do we use AI to shift from personalization to truly personal connections, where the classroom becomes a space teachers and students actually want to be?

From classroom wins to systemic blind spots, Marissa shares real-world stories of what works, what gets in the way, and what she wishes every school leader would ask before hitting “deploy” on any AI initiative.

What you’ll learn:

🧠 Bold mindset shift → Why AI won’t save teachers—unless we first redefine what they’re meant to save

🎨 Creativity 2.0 → How teachers are reclaiming the time to design projects they’ve only dreamed of

📤 Emails to empowerment → The mundane task that triggered Marissa’s transformative “second lightbulb” moment

🛠️ Toolstack worth trusting → Why large language models are ground zero, and how tools like Google NotebookLM and Gamma step up

🌍 From differentiation to dignity → Why real personalization isn’t just logistical—it’s deeply human

🧭 The future students deserve → Marissa’s 11:11 wish to tear down the grade factory and return to the joy of learning

Hosted by Brett Roer (solo this round—after the internet betrayed Rebecca Bultsma), this conversation doesn’t shy away from nuance, pushes past the shiny tool hype, and centers the one thing AI can’t replicate: our authenticity.

🎧 Tune in, subscribe, and share if you’re ready to turn up the volume on what’s possible in education.