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Rachel Johnson

@rachelmjohnson.bsky.social

210 followers 850 following 29 posts

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 24

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Aug 31

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?

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 29

If a student fully understands the material by week 6, does it matter that they failed the quiz in week 2?

Because grading systems that punish early mistakes discourage growth.

Agree or disagree?

#EduSky #Grading

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 28

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 27

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 24

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 23

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 15

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 14

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 9

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 8

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 7

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 4

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

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 3

“Mastery grading lowers standards.”

❌ FALSE.

It RAISES them because students don’t get to move on until they actually understand.

#GradingReform #EdThoughts #EduSky #AlternativeGrading

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 2

Now? My students are more confident, more reflective, and more willing to try.

Mastery-based grading isn’t about being soft.

It’s about being clear, consistent, and focused on learning—not compliance.

#AltGrading #AssessmentForLearning #GrowthMindset

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 2

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 1

It’s like having a curriculum assistant who never misses a detail.

If you're designing around clarity, growth, and feedback - not just points - AI tools like this are game-changers.

#StandardsBasedGrading #TeacherTech #LessonPlanning #AltGrading

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 1

The outcomes it generates is a great starting off point to develop the standards I assess - which makes grading clearer, more focused, and aligned from day one.

No more vague objectives or guesswork.

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 1

I upload all my curriculum docs, unit plans, and textbooks into NotebookLM.

Then I ask it:
“Based on these sources, what are 15–20 key learning outcomes for this course?”

It reads everything and gives me a solid draft to work from.

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jul 1

I use NotebookLM to generate my course learning outcomes quickly and accurately.

Here's how I do it ⬇️

#EduSky #AIinEducation #MasteryBasedGrading #GoogleEDU

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 30

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 27

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

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Reposted by Rachel Johnson

Edutopia @edutopia.org · Jun 26

Teachers see it all the time: students (and parents) who are obsessed with grades. Here are 4 strategies that can shift the focus from “What grade did I get?’ to “What did I learn?” 🌟 💯

#EduSky #education

How to Get Students to Focus on Learning—Not Grades

With a few shifts in the classroom, teachers can encourage students to pay more attention to the skills they are building than to a number or letter score.

www.edutopia.org

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 26

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

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Reposted by Rachel Johnson

Teaching_teaching @teachingteaching.bsky.social · Jun 25

Education is and always will be about growth not getting a good grade. This is why the push towards ungrading is growing. It is so important to remember what school is really for! If your classroom is a place of learning the grades will fall into place if you give them the opportunity to show growth

Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 24

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

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Rachel Johnson @rachelmjohnson.bsky.social · Jun 25

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

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