with Stuart Marshall and James MacPherson
Before each class, Stuart and James meet for about 30 minutes to discuss and refine their lesson plans. This collaborative process allows them to decide on an optimal approach, and which activities are engaging or ineffective. The goal is to strip lessons to their core—removing unnecessary elements and focusing on what matters to the students they know so well. Their informal, conversational (and brutally candid) approach blends practical planning with humour (and banter), making the process both efficient and enjoyable.
For this article the pair were firstly interviewed by Chat GPT, which supplied questions for the pair to answer using the Dictate function in MS Word. GPT was then used to tidy the text and analyse it for the dominant characteristics of the interviewees, and to ascribe to each an archetypal personality. Stuart, for his transactional pragmatism was named The Samurai, while the ever voluble, expansive James became The Rationalist. These avatars were then used to generate the gnomic introduction to each of their responses (once again using GPT). The pair then edited these aphorisms into the interview. (See Appendix for Prompts used).
In essence, the interview is not only a collaborative endeavour between colleagues (and AI) but an expression of the creative potential of Chat GPT in enhancing such efforts.
Chat GPT: What is it that you are doing?
🔪 Stuart (The Samurai): Before battle, the warrior sharpens his blade. Before the lesson, the teacher hones the mind. A dull sword cannot cut; a dull lesson cannot teach.
We meet before each class to go over the lesson plan, searching for gaps, opportunities, and unnecessary flourishes. This process helps me mentally prepare for the lesson—not just its structure, but its essence. It’s about ensuring the lesson is both effective and engaging.
🏛️ James (The Rationalist): All things, if understood in their necessity, are perfect. Lessons, too, must follow reason’s order. Let us cut away what does not serve the whole.
This collaborative process helps me identify what’s essential and what can be left out. By distilling the lesson to its core, we make our teaching more precise and impactful. This approach allows us to build the lesson around the most important ideas while leaving room for flexibility.
How did your collaboration begin?
🔪 Stuart: The river does not resist the stone, but flows around it. Where students drifted like autumn leaves, I sought a current to guide them.
Our collaboration grew out of regular discussions about our classes—what worked, what didn’t, and how to engage students more effectively. What began as casual conversations became a daily habit. Sharing ideas and experiences not only lightened the workload but also fostered creativity.
Having an established rapport made things easier. We shared similar perspectives on the strengths and weaknesses of our teaching materials and could compare our experiences across different classes. The playful nature of our discussions often sparked creative approaches to teaching.
🏛️ James: Chaos was the first matter of the universe. To impose form upon it is a wearying task, but one that reason compels us to undertake.
It started as a response to a challenge—motivating students and making the most of our lesson materials. Since we teach the same courses, it made sense to plan together. The collaboration felt organic, growing from both our professional relationship and the practical need to address student inertia. My classes were less responsive than in previous years, and working together gave us a way to tackle that problem.
What does your planning process look like?
🔪 Stuart: Like the calligrapher’s brush—fluid, spontaneous, unbound. The ink must dance before the words appear.
Our planning is both structured and spontaneous. We usually have a general sense of the lesson in advance, but the brief window before class often generates our best ideas. Bouncing ideas off each other sparks creativity and allows us to adapt quickly when something isn’t working.
We also share tasks like creating quizzes or interactive materials. This collaborative effort not only saves time but also energizes us before heading into class.
🏛️ James: To be wise is to arrange all things in due proportion. Structure is the skeleton upon which inspiration may rest.
Our process is flexible. Sometimes, we meet half an hour before class to brainstorm; other times, we reflect after class and adjust our plans accordingly. The key is our informal, open communication—we can challenge each other without ego getting in the way.
Because we were friends before colleagues, there’s an ease to our collaboration. If one of us has a great idea, we run with it; if not, we scrap it. This honest exchange keeps our lessons fresh and responsive to student needs.
Have you noticed a difference in student engagement or feedback since co-planning your lessons?
🔪 Stuart: The swordsman may choose his stance, but not the wind.
Student energy levels vary, and there’s only so much we can do about that. However, our shared efforts to develop quizzes and interactive tools often create a more engaging atmosphere. When the materials are more dynamic, the classroom energy tends to follow.
🏛️ James: Efficiency is the path to clarity, but clarity alone does not always spark the heart.
I think our lessons are more efficient now. The collaborative use of tools like Mentimeter gives students different ways to interact with the material. That said, when I improvised more in previous years, it sometimes made lessons feel more spontaneous and engaging. There’s a balance to strike between structured planning and in-the-moment creativity.
What’s an example of a lesson that turned out much better because of your collaboration?
🔪 Stuart: When two swords cross, both must sharpen.
Our work on the Language and Communication course stands out. It was a dry run for new material, and we had to think creatively on our feet. One particularly successful lesson involved comparing cats to help students understand different forms of communication.
🏛️ James: To see clearly, one must first observe without judgement.
Right. For that lesson, I came up with the idea of having students describe cats as if they were aliens seeing them for the first time. This analogy helped students grasp the empirical observation and analysis required for genre comparison. It turned a potentially dry topic into something playful and memorable.
How has working together changed your lessons?
🔪 Stuart: The storm-wind meets the mountain. One rages, one resists, yet together they shape the valley.
Our collaboration balances efficiency with creativity. We share the workload, which saves energy and allows us to enter the classroom with more confidence. Having another perspective keeps my approach fresh and prevents me from falling into repetitive patterns.
🏛️ James: Emotion moves men, but only order sustains them. Our harmony is a negotiation between the two.
We scaffold each other through the planning process. If one of us is feeling uninspired, the other often takes up the slack. This mutual support makes the process easier and improves the overall quality of our lessons.
How do you handle disagreements?
🔪 Stuart: A sword must be tempered in fire, then cooled in still water. So too must minds clash, then find peace.
Disagreements are rare and usually brief. The most contentious area tends to be materials development, but our collaborative dynamic allows us to work through differences quickly and productively. James’s fresh perspective often challenges me to rethink my approach, which is ultimately beneficial.
🏛️ James: Divergence is not destruction. It is the multiplicity of causes from which a single truth may emerge.
I’m flexible in my approach and open to new ideas if they make sense. If we strongly disagree, we simply adapt the material in our own way. The goal isn’t uniformity but rather a shared process that enriches our individual lessons.
What advice would you give to new co-planners?
🔪 Stuart: First, find a companion whose step matches your own. Then, walk together, neither too fast nor too slow.
Find someone you feel comfortable working with, where collaboration feels natural rather than an imposition. Keep the process spontaneous—rigid planning meetings can stifle creativity. Reflect on what works and continuously refine your approach.
🏛️ James: Understand first what is necessary, then shape what is possible. The greatest lesson is that of patience.
Good rapport is essential. Be willing to challenge each other and stay open to new approaches. Collaborative tools like Mentimeter or Kahoot can make sharing and adapting materials easier. Above all, trust the process and let your partnership evolve organically.
Appendix: Prompts Used
- My colleague and I are collaborating on a blogpost on the topic of planning lessons together in order to maximise creativity and minimise wasted time in class. To make the most of class materials. We want to approach this in an interesting, conceptual way; perhaps being interviewed by you? Would you be able to do that? The purpose is to encourage teachers to collaborate in similar ways, perhaps using Chat GPT to improve classroom practice.
- Can you reformat this interview transcript to provide slightly sharper answers, removing hesitation devices and general waffle? Also, can you suggest any further questions to answer?
- Would you be able to analyse our respective responses (Stuart, James) and ascribe to each of us an archetypal character based on how we answer the questions?
- Could you distil the interview into a set of gnomic, philosophical responses to each question. As per our avatars, Stuart could be a 17th century samurai haiku writer, and James is Spinoza.
This is genius. Even the human part!
In fact, the principle of collaboration with a co-teacher and use AI prompts as a further sounding board/collaborator is something I’d like to try out – thanks for the inspiration…