Everyone in Pakistan tends to place almost all responsibility for learners’ academic, social, and even moral development on the classroom teacher. At times, this responsibility is extended beyond the teacher’s own classroom, holding them accountable for outcomes over which they have little or no control. Universities, for instance, and their administrative structures are often quick to blame teachers for perceived shortcomings, repeatedly suggesting that teachers must invest more emotional, psychological, social, educational, and administrative effort into their teaching. Recently, following the tragic death of a student at a private university in Lahore, it was, thankfully, acknowledged that teachers, too, experience stress and pressure. They carry social, political, and financial burdens alongside the routine demands of maintaining their mental and physical health. This broader context calls for serious attention to teachers’ well-being, as only a supported and healthy teacher can meet the expectations imposed by institutions and society at large.

At the same time, nations across the world are undergoing another form of trauma triggered by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, which has inevitably entered the classroom. Teachers are now expected to cope with AI in every possible way, regardless of the fact that they have been formally trained in it or possess no prior knowledge or skills at all. In many instances, teachers are forced to confront the fear that their professional role is........

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