Educators Head Into the New School Year with Measured Optimism--and a Discerning Eye on AI's Role in the Classroom

That sense of possibility is clear in the results of TPT's latest State of the Classroom Survey, which polled thousands of educators ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Nearly three-quarters (76.8%) said they're entering the year feeling optimistic, excited, or motivated, while more than two-thirds (69.9%) report a low or moderate stress load as they gear up for class.

Hopeful, not carefree

But educators' positivity comes with open eyes. They anticipate a range of challenges this year, with students' social-emotional and behavioral needs weighing most heavily (a concern shared by 61% of teachers), followed by student engagement and motivation (45%).

Notably, meeting social-emotional needs is a bigger concern than academics for the second year in a row, up 8% from back-to-school 2025—underscoring how educators' roles are quickly expanding past curriculum into ground once covered predominantly by parents, counselors and support staff.

Yet teachers aren't shying away from the difficulties of modern education. They're hopeful while knowing what they're walking into, as one respondent summed up best: "After 22 years, I still love walking into my classroom in August. I believe in kids, I believe in public education … But I'd be lying if I said I'm not worried. Teaching gets harder, not easier, because the world our students live in gets more complicated—and more of it lands on our desks."

Using AI, with caution
That same clear-eyed quality shows up in how educators are approaching AI. As the technology becomes a bigger part of daily life, TPT's survey found 83% of teachers have used AI tools for school-related tasks, primarily to help them create instructional resources (60.2%), brainstorm ideas (42%) and reduce administrative workload (41.5%)—freeing up more time for individualized instruction and developing student relationships.

At the same time, educators are exercising careful judgment about where AI fits:

• Human-created materials remain the most trusted resource type. Teachers have some comfort with AI-assisted materials when they are crafted, reviewed and refined by real people, a preference that held steady across experience levels.
• The most widely-shared opinion among educators is that AI provides benefits but also creates notable challenges for student learning (41%), while the vast majority (94%) are at least somewhat concerned about its overall impact on students' progress.
• Educators' top concerns centered on critical thinking skills (82.5%), cheating (56.5%) and writing skills (50.1%), reflecting the broader sentiment that while teachers view AI as a useful tool for workload management, they're far more cautious about using it for teaching directly.

Taken together, the picture isn't of a profession racing to adopt AI, or recoiling from it. It's of educators doing what they always do: engaging a new tool with curiosity, investigating what will actually help their students and keeping what works.

And despite increasing digital distractions, teachers believe those students are well-equipped for a changing world—when asked what sets this generation of learners apart, they pointed overwhelmingly to their technological savvy (80%), followed by creativity (22%) and adaptability (21%). As they prepare to tackle another year, teachers remain committed to helping every learner thrive.

"It's encouraging to see teachers express optimism at a moment when much about the job, and the world around them, keeps shifting," said Kate Jaffe, Senior Marketing Manager at TPT. "This data tells a story of educators who are genuinely excited about what's new without losing sight of the difficulties that lie ahead. They're showing up with the same steady judgment, open-mindedness and care that has always defined good teaching."

Methodology
TPT surveyed users on its platform via email in July 2026. The survey was completed by 7,345 educators, most with over 10 years of experience, including classroom teachers (74%), specialists (11.3%) and administrators (1.5%), representing all U.S. regions and 12% international respondents. The margin of error is +/-3 percentage points.

About TPT
TPT is the world's largest marketplace of PreK–12 resources, powered by a global community of experienced educators. Trusted by more than 85% of U.S. teachers, millions of educators rely on TPT for engaging materials backed by real classroom insights. Administrators nationwide also use TPT School Express to fund teachers' access to high-quality supplementary resources, helping bring their curriculum to life. TPT joined the IXL Learning family of brands in 2023, which includes IXL, Rosetta Stone, Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, inglés.com, FrenchDictionary.com, Wyzant, Vocabulary.com, ABCya, Education.com, Emmersion, Carson Dellosa Education and Evan-Moor Educational Publishers. Discover how IXL Learning's products are shaping the future of education by exploring its newsroom.

Press Contact
Eric Bates
IXL Learning
[email protected]

SOURCE IXL Learning