Rachel Johnson
Rethinking grading for real learning in the age of AI. Mastery-based, student-centred, classroom-tested. Sharing what’s working—and what isn’t.
Reassess. Revise. Repeat. That’s learning.
#MasteryLearning #EduSky #RethinkTheGrade
- Just finished doing all my safety training for the beginning of the school year and I’m left wondering what job I actually do… am I a teacher or a nurse?
- Hot take: AI can support learning, but it shouldn’t be doing the grading. Grading done right builds trust and connection. Traditional grading breaks it. Alternative grading restores it. Where (if anywhere) do you see AI fitting into grading? #AlternativeGrading #GradingReform #EduSky
- I’m teaching a new course in Sept and I know I don’t want to do traditional grading but I’ve been struggling with coming up with a structure. Luckily my brain has continued to work on this problem in my dreams because I got the most brilliant idea in my sleep! Now to figure out the details. #EduSky
- What if students aren’t "checked out". What if the system is? I’ve spent the past couple years rethinking grading: what mastery means, how to make feedback matter, and how to stop chasing points. What’s one grading shift that’s actually worked for you? #AlternativeGrading #GradingReform #EduSky
- What if grades empowered learning? I've seen students thrive when they can revisit concepts + reassess without penalty. It's not endless chances, but strategic opportunities for true mastery & confidence. What growth have you seen? 👇 #GradingReform #MasteryLearning #StudentConfidence #EduSky
- Grading wasn’t designed for real learning OR for AI like ChatGPT. After 15+ years teaching science, I see mastery grading helping, but AI changes everything. We need clear, honest grading that adapts to this new reality. What are you seeing in your classroom? #RethinkTheGrade #EduSky
- I followed all the best practices. Clear rubrics. Detailed feedback. But something still felt off. What if the problem wasn’t me or my systems, but the grading structure itself? #EduSky #GradingReform
- I don’t write much on student work anymore. I circle, I question... I prompt. Because the more I say, the less they think. Now they correct first, then we talk. Because whoever does the work, does the learning. #gradingreform #masterylearning #EduSky
- 3 signs your grading system might be hurting learning: → Students obsess over part marks → Feedback is ignored → “What can I do to boost my grade?” becomes the norm Sound familiar? #EduShift #MasteryLearning #EduSky
- My students wrote their IB Chemistry HL exams this spring - most barely studied (senioritis!)… and over 65% scored a Level 5 or higher. Only 4% were below Level 4. We used mastery-based grading all year. Turns out, deep learning sticks. #gradingreform #IBTeaching #EduSky
- I used to spend hours splitting hairs over taking off a mark vs a half mark. Now I use 3–5 level scales. I grade faster, give clearer feedback, and rarely bring work home. The 0–100 scale isn’t rigourous. It’s exhausting. Who else has felt this? #teacherburnout #gradingreform #EduSky
- “Mastery grading lowers standards.” ❌ FALSE. It RAISES them because students don’t get to move on until they actually understand. #GradingReform #EdThoughts #EduSky #AlternativeGrading
- When I started changing my grading practices, some colleagues told me I was being too soft. Some even emailed me to suggest I go back to “real grading.” It was frustrating—but I kept going. Why? Because I could see what traditional grades were doing to my students. #EduSky #GradingReform
- I use NotebookLM to generate my course learning outcomes quickly and accurately. Here's how I do it ⬇️ #EduSky #AIinEducation #MasteryBasedGrading #GoogleEDU
- I used to catch students cheating all the time. Not out of laziness, but stress. One shot to get it right. No revisions. Points > learning. Since switching to mastery-based grading? The pressure’s gone. Cheating? Rare now. More chances = better choices #MasteryLearning #RethinkGrading #EduSky
- My students now ask: “Can I try that again?” “Can you tell me what I missed?” Not: “How many marks is this worth?” That shift is everything. #AlternativeGrading #SecondarySTEM #EduSky
- Reposted by Rachel Johnson[Not loaded yet]
- Hot take: Allowing retakes isn’t “soft” - it’s scientific. Mastery takes time. Reassessment isn’t a second chance. It’s a better snapshot of learning. #AlternativeGrading #RethinkTheGrade #EduSky
- Reposted by Rachel Johnson[Not loaded yet]
- Grading tip: Swap: “What grade did you get?” For: “What did you learn, and what are you working on next?” The language we model matters. #MasteryBasedGrading #FeedbackMatters #EduSky
- If a student can’t redo an assessment, is it really about learning? Let’s stop pretending “real life doesn’t allow retakes.” Most of adult life IS retakes. #AlternativeGrading #EduSky
- I used to dread handing back tests. I’d brace myself for the rush of: → “Why didn’t I get one more mark?” → “Can you check this again?” → “I don’t think this should be wrong.” It wasn’t about the learning. Most hadn’t even looked at the feedback - just the number. 🧵 #EduSky #MasteryBasedGrading
