An A+ used to mean something.

Now, it’s getting harder to tell what grades actually represent.

This week’s Brainy Bit research looks at what two decades of data say about rising grades - and what that might mean for real student learning.

And this week’s Tech Tool offers a simple way to reset focus when students (and teachers) need it most.

You’re about to become an even better teacher in the next 7 minutes.

🔉But first, a word from our sponsor for teachers who want to stay informed without falling down a 45-minute news rabbit hole.

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And now, back to making you an even better teacher. ⬇️ 

TECH TOOL

Let It Go (For Real)

Students (and teachers) don’t walk into class as blank slates. They bring stress, distractions, and worries with them—and sometimes, that’s the real barrier to teaching and learning.

What if we could name the worry, and then let it go?

The Solution: PixelThoughts

PixelThoughts is a free browser-based experience that guides users through releasing a worry. Type it in, follow the prompts, and watch it slowly drift away into space while calming messages appear along the way.

It’s intentionally simple. 

No accounts. No setup. Just a quiet, visual moment that helps shift attention away from stress and back toward the present. And shockingly, works better than you would think.

Is This For YOUR Classroom?

There are some real limitations. Since there’s no login, you can’t see what students enter - so it shouldn’t be relied on to surface serious mental health concerns. Also, some of the reflective prompts may feel a bit abstract for younger learners.

Used thoughtfully, though, it can still be a powerful reset tool.

Strategies That Work:

1. Teacher Reset Tool: Use it yourself during stressful moments to model calm and reset your mindset.

2. Class Worry Release: As a class, choose 1–3 shared worries and release them together safely.

3. Transition Reset Ritual: Use it between lessons to help students mentally reset and refocus.

Not every problem needs a full lesson plan. Sometimes, students (and yes, teachers)  just need a moment to breathe, and let it go.

🚀 Noteworthy News

👉️ Can you pass this?: This “advanced placement” quiz is breaking the internet—most people can’t.

👉️ Existential: AI “agents” are getting smarter—and people are starting to feel uneasy about it.

👉️ Reassuring (but surprising): Creativity doesn’t peak young—it might actually get better with age.

BRAINY BIT

Are Grades Getting… Too Good?

An A used to mean something.

Now… it might mean a lot of things.

Or nothing at all?

TLDR: A 20-year study of 173,232 students found average GPAs rose from 2.83 to 3.34—about an 18% increase. Even more striking: students graduating with “high honors” jumped from 4.6% to 36.5%. 

The Study: Is grade inflation real?

Researchers analyzed real university records from 32 teacher education programs (because who better to study than future teachers) over two decades. This wasn’t a survey; it was actual student GPA data pulled from institutional databases.

They used statistical models to track changes over time and test what factors (like class size, admission scores, and program age) were driving grade increases.

The Results:

The number of top-performing students didn’t just rise—it exploded. High honors graduates increased more than 7 times over the study period.

At the same time, average GPAs climbed steadily, adding about 0.5 points on a 4.0 scale.

Here are the two twists to pay attention to: 

• Programs with lower entry scores and larger class sizes often produced higher grades, suggesting the increase wasn’t just better students, it was easier grading.

• The highest scores were seen during the COVID-19 pandemic

In YOUR Classroom:

If grades keep rising without matching skill, students may leave school with confidence that doesn’t match reality.

Here’s how this study should impact your classroom this week:

Strategies That Work:

1. Define success clearly: Make rubrics and expectations explicit so grades reflect real learning.

2. Mix assessment types: Use varied tasks to avoid over-relying on one easy-to-inflate measure.

3. Reframe struggle: Show students that not getting an A right away is part of learning—not a failure.

Higher grades might feel good.

But accurate grades help students actually grow.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

We would LOVE to hear from you!

Reply to this email, or send us a message on Instagram! We’re here to walk with you in these crazy times!

Part of what makes The PEN Weekly community so special is the fact that our readers are teachers from around the world! We’re not going to lie, we think that’s pretty darn cool!

We’ll see you again on Monday 🍎

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