João Nuno Tavares argues that the rise of AI in classrooms necessitates a fundamental rethink of assessment and teaching methodologies to preserve meaningful learning without overwhelming teachers. Drawing on roughly 50 years of teaching experience, he outlines practical ideas for qualitative, robust assessment techniques and classroom practices that acknowledge AI’s capabilities while aiming to reduce teacher workload. The piece analytically weighs trade-offs and proposes scalable strategies to maintain academic integrity, learning quality and manageable teacher demands.