Process of Assessment

"Intervention must be relevant and meaningful in order to produce positive results in child's learning" (Mesmer, 2008 p. 283). I think Routman would whole heartedly agree with this statement. Routman may not agree on what intervention may be. But I think these three authors would agree that it must be meaningful for the student to have any impact and that assessment is a continually on-going process. The overall idea that assessment is on-going is a relief. I have multiple opportunities to help students. And to think once one issue is resolved that assessment is done would be a grave mistake. I completely agree with the idea of if at first you do not succeed try, try again. As a teacher though hopefully because my assessment is useful and relevant as coupled with intervention that is relevant and meaningful I will not have to try too many times and will be able to help most students.

2 out of 5 or 3 out of 5

In the blog, On the Shoulders of Giants had a post titled "Great Expectations and the Disheartened" focusing on a report titled "Teaching for a Living: How Teachers See the Profession Today" in which it was emphasized that 2 out of 5 teachers are disheartened in their profession with other choices being content or idealistic. This to me is not a bad thing. As a pre-service teacher I see this as uplifting and commented so as it means that 3 out of 5 teachers are NOT disheartened, either being content or idealistic about their profession. Moreover I appreciated seeing that even after many years of experience a teacher is still thinking about how she can be a better teacher for herself and her students. This verifies my idea that there is no perfect lesson and as teachers we need to be constantly changing our lesson plans/ideas to fit the needs and development of our students.

In self evaluation as teachers we can add another level to our profession I think, of respectability and accountability not to mention just over all good for our students and ourselves. Furthermore when we self assess AND share (through blogging!!! woohoo!) it can build community between teachers in our profession not limited to only our classrooms, schools, or districts. This kind of community can be very powerful and uplifting for teachers in building a voice in the world of education, as a part of building a professional community.

Assessment

In Ranking, Evaluating and Liking: Sorting Out Three Forms of Judgment by Peter Elbow, he states that,”Evaluation requires going beyond a first response that may be nothing but a kind of ranking (‘I like it’ or ‘This is better than that’), and instead looking carefully enough at the performance or person to make distinctions between parts or features or criteria.” This quote defines for me the dilemma I as a teacher will face with assessment. I want to set standards and expectations that are upheld, but at the same time I need to make sure in my assessment of student work and thinking especially with writing that there is room for creativity. The 6 Traits of writing is a great guideline for evaluating students work but this evaluation should be ongoing and congruent with the development of the student.

Also I think as the teacher which ever “ranking”, as Elbow would call it, students may receive should not come as a surprise to the students. Assessment should be a combination of their own evaluation on their writing through a variety of communications through formal and informal conferences as well as a graded rubric of expectations. What kind of teacher would I be if I handed students expectations, a rubric, for an assignment but did not guide and support them to reach those expectations?