Assessment in the Classroom
Assessment is a necessary evil in the classroom; on the one hand, standardized tests and grading are necessary to determine how the students are progressing. On the other hand, tests are always going to be biased to some degree. As a prospective teacher, I understand the need for standardized tests and grading but at the same time recognize that alternative means of assessment are also necessary. For example, teachers should offer students and their parents meaningful conversational feedback. Moreover, teachers of young children should not emphasize grades and testing in their classrooms. If students learn early on that school's only purpose is for grades and test scores, then they may become anxious about school. Also, assessment methods and learning are often completely disconnected; a student might be absorbing class material and learning a lot but still score poorly on tests. Another student in the same class might score exceptionally well on tests but derive little meaning from the material.I fell somewhere in the middle as a student. My scores were decent but I often dreaded tests just like many other students. I feel that tests have their place and from a teacher's perspective they are necessary to prove to parents and sc
The process of composing test material for students can inform teachers about gaps in their lessons and areas that they may be over- or under emphasizing. For example the first set of tests I designed for a second grade class included separate sections on reading, math, and some science. The composition process took far longer than I expected; I had to thoroughly look over the lesson materials and make sure I included questions that pertained to every part of each unit. The process mirrored back to me much of what I have learned about student motivation and the learning process and will greatly shape how I approach assessment as an educational professional. If the purpose of assessment is the help teachers help their students, then teachers are obliged to develop less threatening assessment materials. I would like to see more teachers assess simply by observation. When I teach, I try to watch closely and see whether or not a student pays attention. When a student is not paying attention, it could mean that he or she is struggling with the subject but is too shy to speak up. Because many students who are shy end up becoming neglected and falling through the cracks, so to speak, I try to give these students individualized attention. One of the most important lessons I have learned that assessment is not just a matter of grading tests but of continually assessing students collectively and individually. My assessment system consists of direct test questions related to lesson plan material, but it also includes observation of students in the classroom while we learn, and also informal oral drills. When students appear uncertain of a certain item during an informal oral drill, it is a clear sign that I need to go over that material with them in more depth. In larger classrooms, I divide students into groups when they prepare for tests so that they have a chance to learn from each other, too. I have found that social instructional methods can be a great asset in the classroom on many levels. First, the group learning improves student participa
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Approximate Word count = 1384
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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