When ChatGPT dropped in November 2022, I jumped in shortly after. I started playing with it, wrote my first post about using it in education by January 2023 (here it is).
A few months later, I was presenting on AI locally and, eventually, across the country—showing teachers how it could actually make their lives easier. Somewhere along the way, I became an AI consultant. I gave about five presentations. After one of them, the head guy pulled me aside and told me I did an excellent job.
Me being me, I asked, “Are you serious or just being nice?”
He said, “I don’t say things I don’t mean. That was excellent.”
That moment stuck with me.
And then… silence.
No more calls. No more opportunities. I reached out—asked if I was fired. They said no. I asked if I needed to fix anything. They said no. I asked for feedback. Nothing.
Same story with job interviews. Get the call. Get told, “We went in another direction.” I ask for feedback, and get told, “You were great, but someone else rose to the top.” I get told, “The other candidate stood out.” No feedback. No real explanation.
And honestly?
It’s ridiculous.
We work in education. We preach feedback. We tell kids and teachers it’s the key to getting better. We build entire evaluation systems around it.
But when it comes time to give real feedback to each other? Crickets. Excuses. Vague compliments and generic rejections.
It’s cowardly. It’s bullshit. And it’s hypocritical.
We owe people better than that.
Especially if we actually believe half the stuff we say about growth, learning, and improvement.
Moler's Musings 