TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read
The Grid Method is often misunderstood as a curriculum when it’s actually a mastery-based framework.
This post explains what The Grid Method is and what it is not, why it was created, and how it helps teachers organize existing curriculum to support mastery learning, differentiation, and student ownership without adding more work or burning out.
- The Grid Method is not a curriculum. It’s a framework.
- You keep your standards, content, assessments, and pacing requirements.
- The framework organizes learning into clear mastery pathways.
- Students work at their own pace while expectations remain high.
- Teachers gain time for feedback, small groups, and reteaching.
- Differentiation becomes manageable instead of theoretical.
- You can start small with one unit, one grid, or one class.
The Thing Most People Get Wrong About The Grid Method
When I first created The Grid Method, I wasn’t trying to replace my curriculum. I was trying to survive. I was trying to reach more students. I was trying to be better.
I had standards to cover. A pacing guide to follow. Lessons I had already planned.
What I didn’t have was a system that helped all my students make real progress without me having to be in ten places at once.
That’s what led to The Grid Method.
What is The Grid Method – Mastery Learning Framework?
Here’s the thing most people get wrong about The Grid Method: The Grid Method is not a curriculum. It’s a framework.
It doesn’t tell you what to teach. It helps you organize and deliver what you already teach, in a way that works better for you and your students.
Think of it like this:
- Your curriculum is the map.
- The Grid Method is the GPS that helps each student take the right path to get where they need to go.
- You keep your content.
- You keep your assessments.
- You keep your standards.
What changes is how everything fits together.
When you organize your unit into a Mastery Grid, you lay out clear pathways so students can move at their own pace. You define what mastery looks like at each level. You give students more ownership, while freeing yourself up to do more actual teaching and less classroom herding.
Here’s what you don’t need to do:
- You don’t need to rewrite your entire unit.
- You don’t need to toss out your textbooks.
- You don’t need to wait for a summer PD workshop.
- You can start small. One unit. One Grid. One class.
What Does The Grid Method Look Like in a Real Classroom?
In practice, a Mastery Grid creates clarity. Students know exactly what they are working toward, where they are in the process, and what comes next. Instead of asking, “What do I do now?” they start asking better questions like, “Can you give me feedback on this?” or “Am I ready to move on?”
That shift matters.
Because while students are working through different pathways, the teacher is no longer stuck delivering the same directions over and over. Time opens up for small-group instruction, targeted feedback, reteaching when it actually matters, and meaningful conversations about learning.
This is where differentiation stops being theoretical, and starts being manageable.
Why Mastery Changes Everything
When mastery becomes the goal, learning stops being about compliance and starts being about growth.
- Students are no longer punished for needing more time.
- Mistakes become part of the process, not the end of it.
- Progress is visible, measurable, and motivating.
The Grid Method creates space for students to take ownership, without being left on their own. Structure and flexibility coexist. Expectations stay high, but the path to get there is no longer one-size-fits-all.
And for teachers, that balance is everything.
This Was Never About a “Program”
The Grid Method was never designed to be another initiative layered on top of an already overloaded system. It was also never meant to tell you how you should teach. It was built by a classroom teacher (me) who needed a better way to meet students where they were without burning out. And since 2015, thousands of teachers all over the world have implemented the framework and seen the same success I did, over and over again.
The Grid Method is a framework you can adapt.
A structure you can grow into.
A system that evolves with your teaching.
Whether you’re brand new to mastery-based learning, or have been exploring it for years, The Grid Method gives you a practical way to start aligning your classroom with what you already know is best for students.
One unit at a time.
One decision at a time.
One class at a time.
Article Recap
- The Grid Method was created to solve real classroom challenges.
- It supports mastery learning without replacing curriculum.
- Structure and flexibility work together in a Mastery Grid.
- Students gain clarity, ownership, and confidence.
- Teachers reclaim time and instructional focus.
- The framework adapts to your teaching, not the other way around.
- Progress happens one unit, one decision, one class at a time.
About Chad Ostrowski
Chad Ostrowski is the co-founder of the Teach Better Team, and creator of The Grid Method. He is also a co-author of the Teach Better book. But Chad is a middle school science teacher at heart. He now travels the country sharing his story, working with teachers, schools, and districts to help them to reach more students.
