AssessPrep Insights ft. Sajida Manzoor | Episode 02

"You cannot teach Gen Alpha with 100-year-old methods." In Episode 2 of AssessPrep Insights, host Sidhi Baweja sits down with Sajida Manzoor — Head of Humanities at Sharjah American International School, UAE and a veteran educator with 15+ years in the classroom, for an honest, practical conversation on how AI is reshaping teaching and why traditional assessment models are running out of road. Sajida shares how she went from being mocked for using ChatGPT three years ago to becoming the AI pioneer her school now turns to for training. She unpacks how AI shows up in her lesson planning, formative assessments, feedback cycles, and teacher PD, and where the human teacher remains absolutely irreplaceable. If you're an educator, school leader, or parent trying to make sense of where teaching and assessment are headed, this one is for you. ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Welcome to AssessPrep Insights Ep. 2 00:34 Meet Sajida Manzoor 01:50 From content delivery to student-centered learning 05:35 Why students remember teachers, not textbooks 06:00 AI in the classroom — friend, threat, or assistant? 09:11 Why Gen Alpha needs a new system 12:30 The washing machine analogy for AI 13:25 The ChatGPT prediction that came true 15:19 Training teachers to use AI 17:00 Sajida's free GPT: Inquiry Teaching 20:30 What assessments will look like in 2030 23:30 The skills that actually matter 27:00 Teaching history through AI 28:58 Closing thoughts: "Burn and learn" 💬 NOTABLE QUOTES "Students may forget the content, but they remember how learning made them feel." "AI is like an assistant. I have a washing machine at home — I put the clothes in, it washes, and I'm still working." "If you guys will not take ChatGPT now, eventually you will." — Sajida, three years before the AI boom. "Humans may miss something. It can slip from our eyes. AI will not let it go." "Two minds are better than one. If I do not have a human mind with me, I can use AI as my assistant." "In the AI age, it's not just what you know. It's how you think." 🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS The teacher's job has shifted from content delivery to becoming a facilitator of thinking. AI should be used with guardrails — students must explain and own their AI-assisted work. Teachers who refuse to learn AI today will be the ones left behind tomorrow. Assessment must move beyond memorisation toward debates, case studies, real-world problem solving, and presentation skills. Gen Alpha has unlimited information access. The teacher's role is to organise their thinking, not feed them more content. 🔗 RESOURCES MENTIONED Sajida's free public GPT — Inquiry Teaching (lesson planners, success criteria, quick formative checks): https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6980199a9c108... 👤 ABOUT THE GUEST Sajida Manzoor is a Head of Humanities with 15+ years of experience in international education. She is deeply passionate about curriculum development, teacher training, and inquiry-based learning. She is one of the earliest adopters of AI in classroom planning and assessment. 🎙 ABOUT ASSESSPREP INSIGHTS AssessPrep Insights is a podcast that sits down with inspiring educators across the globe to unpack the future of learning — from AI in classrooms to the evolution of student assessment. Hosted by Sidhi Baweja. 🌐 Learn more about AssessPrep: https://www.assessprep.com 🔔 Subscribe for new episodes every month. 🌐 Elevate your school's assessment strategy with AssessPrep: https://www.assessprep.com/ 📱 Connect with us: LinkedIn:   / assessprep   X (Twitter): https://x.com/assessprep Instagram:   / assessprep   YouTube:    / @assess-prep   #AssessPrep #AIEducation #EdTech #GenAlpha #FutureOfLearning #AuthenticAssessment #ChatGPTinEducation #InquiryBasedLearning #TeacherTraining #TeachersOfYouTube #Humanities #AssessPrepInsights #EducationPodcast