Assessment+Philosophy

Assessment is essential in order to determine whether or not an objective/goal has been achieved, however, as teachers we must keep in mind that the methods we use to assess our students has a significant impact on their motivation and overall success. There are various forms of assessment that are used within the classroom: pre-assessment, formative assessment and summative. Each form of assessment is used to measure students' knowledge at a different stage of the learning process.

Pre-assessment should be used at the beginning of a unit to discover what is already known about a topic before it is explored. Formative assessment occurs continuously throughout the unit, in the form of quizzes, oral questioning, self-assessment, informal observation, feed back and much more. The benefit of using formative assessment is that students are provided with feedback and teachers are able to intervene immediately rather than waiting until the end of a unit. By monitoring the progress of each student, teachers can work with students to develop appropriate educational goals and ways by which the student can achieve such goals. Teachers should not wait until the end of a unit to determine whether or not their students have understood the material. Summative assessment occurs at the end of a unit and allows the teacher to determine what students have learned.

Assessment should not be limited to tests. Assessing students solely on scores attained on written tests does not provide teachers with an accurate representation of a student’s knowledge. In order to gain a more precise portrayal, teachers should incorporate a variety of assessment methods into their classroom. Using a fluctuation of assessment methods will allow for an overarching depiction of a student’s development as well as allow for fair and accurate assessment of all students.We, as teachers, must keep in mind that younger students have a short attention span; therefore, we should ensure that assessment is concise and to the point.

A teacher should ensure that they alleviate stress to the best of their ability. When administering tests, teachers should ensure that their students are prepared i.e. they have the necessary test-taking skills, are familiar with the format, and are provided with a review and the date of the test. In addition, expectations should be clearly conveyed to students. Providing a rubric is an effective way to show students exactly what you are looking for and how you will be grading the assignment. It is my belief that a teacher should teach to the test, i.e. teach students exactly what they are expected to know and avoid overwhelming students with irrelevant information. Teachers should grade students in a manner that is fair, however, we must keep in mind that fair does not necessarily mean equal. We must acknowledge the differences among our students and tailor instruction and assessment to meet their needs.