Chainsaws, Axes, and AI in the Classroom: How One Neurodivergent Educator Built a School from Scratch

Cherish Cahoon
Jul 12
5 min read

AI is changing our world — fast. With a well-worded prompt, you can now do in seconds what used to take hours… or what some people couldn’t do at all. And yet, in education, the use of AI sparks controversy. Some call it cheating. Others question the ethics of authorship or fear it’s leading us toward disaster.

I’ve heard it all. As a school founder, English teacher, and mom of five (including 3-year-old twins), I’ve watched the black-and-white thinking dominate conversations around AI in schools. And as someone with ADHD, I’ve personally wrestled with how AI fits into my creative process. But what I’ve found is simple: AI works — especially for neurodivergent minds like mine.

The Axe vs. Chainsaw Metaphor – Explained

Imagine you’re in a forest, tasked with cutting down trees. For generations, people have used axes — slow, labor-intensive, and requiring great skill and stamina. Then, one day, someone invents a chainsaw.

Suddenly, what once took hours can be done in seconds. The tool is more efficient, more powerful, and more scalable. But instead of embracing it, some people cling to their axes out of habit, fear, or principle — even if it means slower, harder work.

In education, AI is the chainsaw.

Traditional methods (the axe) are still valuable — they teach persistence and form the foundation of many skills. But AI (the chainsaw) offers exponential leverage: faster access to information, more personalized support, better scaffolding for neurodivergent thinkers, and tools that help translate creativity into action.

You're not saying to throw away the axe. You're saying:

Why not give students the best tools available — and teach them how to use them wisely?

Just as a chainsaw in the hands of a skilled builder can create amazing things, AI in the hands of a thoughtful student can unlock new levels of learning, innovation, and agency.

If you had an educational chainsaw- doesn’t it make more sense to use it?

AI as a Thought Translator

For me, AI is like a translator for the language of my brain. My thoughts arrive as floods of metaphors, visuals, systems, and curriculum concepts — often all at once and rarely in a neat, linear order. Communicating those ideas? It’s like trying to catch light in a jar. But AI helps me catch it. It helps me structure, refine, and communicate complex ideas that I would otherwise struggle to explain.

That’s why I’ve come to believe: AI belongs in schools. Not as a shortcut, but as a superpower.

The Research Agrees

Tools like AI, when used thoughtfully, can boost learning outcomes dramatically — think Bloom’s 2 Sigma Problem, where 1:1 tutoring leads to massive gains. AI can function as a kind of tutor, especially when embedded in a well-designed system. Another study from Harvard shows students learned more than twice as much in less time using an AI tutor instead of going to lectures (even “active learning”ones).

We tested this hypothesis with Hello Wonder, launching Wonder Camps where kids in grades 5-12 followed their own lines of inquiry supported by AI tools. It worked. Pairing short, Montessori-style lessons with AI-assisted research and culminating presentations led to deep, meaningful learning.

From Passive to Purposeful

At Valor Heights, the school I built in a treehouse on a nature preserve in Texas (yes, really), students don’t sit passively. They build, test, present, and rethink. We ditched bell-to-bell instruction for long work periods where learning feels relevant.

Want to be an author? We connect students with a real publisher.
Dream of being a professional soccer player? We bring in a former pro.
Interested in painting, robotics, acting, or entrepreneurship? We find working mentors.

We even tackle United Nations Sustainable Development Goals — from building clean water systems to running youth campaigns.

The AIM Program

To take this further, I created AIM: Applied Intelligence & Modeling — think STEM, but for the AI era. In AIM, students explore:

Artificial Intelligence
Engineering & Prototyping
Systems Thinking
Data & Modeling
Real-World Problem Solving

They use cutting edge tech and learn to wield it creatively and ethically. In one of our favorite challenges, students present TED-style talks about how AI could solve a global or personal problem. They research, create, rehearse, and deliver their ideas to an audience. This is what education should look like.

What We Actually Teach

AI is just one of many tools. Like a calculator or microscope, it helps students dig deeper — if used well. We teach them to ask:

Did I clarify my own thinking?
Did I go through the full writing process?
Did I revise in my own voice?
Did I use AI responsibly, with citations where needed?
Am I avoiding effort — or expanding my learning?

Students are required to reflect, show their process, and make their learning visible.

Education, Reimagined

Because we use AI to streamline traditional instruction, we gain something precious: time. Time for recess, outdoor learning, field trips, deep dives, and joy. Our kids climb trees, make films, code robots, and pitch ideas — all while hitting academic standards more efficiently than most traditional models.

We are a Let Grow partner school, and our leaders have completed Harvard’s Let’s Play training through Project Zero. These two organizations strengthen our mission to create independence and meaningful learning through play. This is intentional pedagogy backed by field experts and industry leaders.

Building the Future with Better Tools

Imagine being in the woods with a chainsaw — and watching others stubbornly swing axes, calling it noble.

That’s what education feels like sometimes.

But we keep cutting. We keep building. And we invite others to join us.

Many builders have already answered the call. Companies like Synthesis Tutor and Khan Academy are designing educational AI tools to help students learn better- and they deserve to be acknowledged for the exceptional work and access they are giving to a wide community of learners.

Want a Chainsaw?

We want to build a community of people who love to learn, create, and innovate.

Our curriculum, CompletED, is WASC-accredited and available to educators who want to apply, adapt, or innovate with it. We invite you to join our AIM community — no strings attached. Just send us a message on Instagram @valor_heights, and we’ll put you in the loop.

If you’re local to The Woodlands, Texas — come be part of Valor Heights.We’re currently enrolling students in grades 5–12.

Let’s Build The Future Together

🌐 Visit www.valorheights.school

📲 Or follow us on Instagram: @valor_heights

Sources & Further Reading

Kestin, G., et al. (2024). AI Tutoring Outperforms Active Learning. Research Square
Khan Academy. (2023). Khanmigo: AI for Tutors and Students. Khan Labs
Synthesis School. (2024). AI-enhanced Collaboration. Synthesis
Hello Wonder. (2024). Curiosity-Driven AI for Kids. Hello Wonder
Bloom, B. S. (1984). The 2 Sigma Problem: The Search for Methods of Group Instruction as Effective as One-to-One Tutoring. Educational Researcher
Project Zero at Harvard. (2024). Let’s Play: Teaching Strategies for Playful Learning.Project Zero – Harvard Graduate School of Education
Let Grow. (2024). Free-Range Kids and the Power of Independence. Let Grow
CompletED. (2024). Accredited Experiential Curriculum for Grades 1–12. CompletED .www.completedhq.com

Acknowledgments

To my dear friend and collaborator, Amanda “Mandy” Ross — thank you for walking with me through this journey. Your encouragement, insight, and wholehearted support have meant more than I can say. From your leadership at Hello Wonder to your time at Apple, you’ve modeled what it looks like to lead with both boldness and grace. I’m a better educator- and much braver-because of your friendship.

To Aaron Sitze at Synthesis — your early conversations shaped my vision more than you know.

And to the families already enrolled at Valor Heights — you believed in this before it was even real. Your trust, enthusiasm, and commitment to something different give me the energy to keep building.

You are the reason this school exists.