ASSESSMENT
InTASC Standard 6: The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Assessment should be the guiding force behind everything that an educator does. As that force, assessments shine a spotlight on strengths and opportunities for growth for each child, which in turn present teachers with the knowledge they need to adjust their instruction on a more personalized basis to ensure each child's academic success. However, the teacher is not the only one held accountable for the success of their students. It is also each student's responsibility to work with the teacher to identify their own areas of growth and to create actionable steps for improvement.
​
In my classroom, assessment -- diagnostic, summative, and formative -- runs the show. I begin the year with diagnostic assessments in order to gauge where my students are on the day they arrive in my classroom, and I don't stop utilizing some form of assessment until the day they walk out. From the standards heavy pre-assessment I introduce in the first week of classes to anecdotal data taken from class discussions to writing prompts in interactive journals, I am constantly assessing, reflecting, and adjusting on my own instruction in order to best meet the needs of my students.
​
Please click one of the images below to see how I utilize assessment in my classroom.
