Assessment Practices

Although we have not been taught much on assessment my cooperating teaching was supportive and understanding when it came to assessment and was able to help us assess the students. I have come to realize that assessment includes much more than tests and work sheets. I have also realized that assessment is for more than just a mark or a grade. I realize that assessment may be used to improve lesson, helps us understand what the students do or do not understand as well as assisting us with grading.

Formative Assessment

Conversation/questioning: 

Throughout the eight weeks I have used conversation and questioning in almost every lesson that I have taught. I find that many students have thoughts that cannot be accessed through writing and drawing. I have used conversation through one-on-on, in small groups and also whole class conversation. I have done mostly teacher-led conversation. I have found this extremely helpful to find out where the students are understanding and where they may have areas of growth. It is also possible to do student-led conversation but I found this may be more beneficial in older grades. I enjoy conversation because if it is a good conversation it is possible to keep building off of it regardless of how long the conversation lasts. Often, I have found that conversation and questioning may happen without any thought or planning. It depends on the class and the involvement of the class if this is beneficial or not. 

Observation: 

            This was a strategy that we used constantly without even realizing. While the students are working we would talk around and make sure that the students were on the right tract. Observation provides the opportunity to understand the student’s strengths, abilities, and areas of growth. Observation could be used just to watch or the observations could be written down and tracked. Observation is best used as a formative assessment and could be used without the children knowing so it adds zero stress to assessment. I have realized through observation it has helped me gain a better understanding of my students as well as helped me build professional relationships with them. 

Exit slips:

Exit slips are a great way to understand where the children are in their understanding. It can show areas of strengths as well as growth. Being in a grade 1 2 split I found that the exit slips had to be just drawing or a combination of written and pictures. Often the exit slip will be explained to the students at the beginning of the lesson and it is a paper or a reflection page that will be handed in at the end for no marks. Exit slips can be very simple, and adaptive in needed. They are often quick and an easy way to assess the students. I have done them a number of times throughout my lessons and found that the students enjoyed to reflect back on the activity and lesson that we have just finished. 

Summative Assessment

I have not been able to summatively assess yet but I have been included on assisting my cooperating teaching make summative assessments for the activities that I have planned. 

Journaling: 

I have not created a lesson where I have used journaling to summatively assess but my cooperating teacher has used this method lots. She would get the students to reflect in their journals and have the opportunity to draw and write about what they have learned and what they would like to learn. I found that this could be used for both summative and formative assessment. It is a good idea to make the students aware if they are being marked or not on each journal posting. 

Rubrics: 

Again, I have not created a rubric myself but between my partner and I we created a rubric in two of our lessons. We have found rubrics an efficient way to be sure that each student is being graded equally following the same criteria. Our cooperating teacher will look over our rubrics to make sure that they are useful and made properly. I have found rubrics easy to mark with numbers but difficult to mark using the EU, M, B, and NY marking. It is challenging to know what each percent is classified as. Using rubrics is a method that I would like to improve on, this is a goal that I will try to reach in the next coming placements and opportunities. 

Checklists: 

I find that checklists are similar to rubrics. I have created a checklist with my cooperating teacher to grade one of my activities that I have planned for my students. Checklists are beneficial because they are quick and easy. There does not have to be a certain number of items on a checklist. I do find that, like the rubrics, it is difficult to find a proper grade to put the checklist. Again, I hope that this is something that I will be able to work on and improve in my future placements and opportunities.