How a PE Teacher Built an AI Tool to Solve the Marking Crisis | Tom Raithby (Chalkd)

Can a PE teacher with no formal coding background solve the biggest headache in education? In this episode of Show Us Your Stack, Alex and Darren are joined by Tom Raithby, the creator of Chalkd.

Tom shares his incredible journey of "vibe coding"—using AI to build AI—to create a platform that automates grading and provides high-quality, personalised feedback for students. From navigating the Google Gemini ecosystem to marking 140+ A-Level papers in 48 hours, Tom dives deep into the tech, the triumphs, and the friction of being a teacher-founder in 2026.

Key Takeaways:

• Vibe Coding is Real: Tom explains how he used tools like Kero, Anti-gravity, and Claude Code to build a complex architecture without traditional CS training.

• The Google Advantage: Why building within the Google Cloud/Vertex AI ecosystem provides the security and compliance schools require.

• Feedback Loops: How Chalkd uses Gemini 1.5 Pro for heavy OCR/handwriting tasks and Flash for quick generative reporting.

• The "Teacher in the Loop" Philosophy: Why AI shouldn't replace teachers, but rather "close the loop" on feedback faster than ever before.

• Website: https://chalkd-ai.com

• Guest: Tom Raithby, Frederick Gough School.

• Frontend: React / Vercel

• Backend: Python / Firestore

• AI Models: Google Gemini 1.5 Pro & Flash

• Coding Tools: Cursor, Claude Code, Kero, Anti-gravity.

#EdTech #AIinEducation #VibeCoding #TeacherProductivity #Chalkd #GoogleGemini #ShowUsYourStack

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