M3. Assessing Student Learning

In chapter 5, the discussion surrounded student assessment. Assessments aren't meant to be scary, although some may hear that word and get nervous. Assessments are meant to see what students know and what they're struggling with so that I, as the teacher, can backtrack if needed, so that no student is left confused about a topic and can fully learn each topic. While assessments can be scary, authentic assessments, which exhibit a student's skills in a way that they would in daily like, like a portfolio for example, tend to eliminate some testing anxiety that many students struggle with. No matter what kind of assessment is administered, all assessments should be reliable and valid so that assessments are an accurate reflection of the student's performance. The results of these assessments do get reported to the student's family members so that their families are kept in the loop about their student's progress. A commonly used form of these reports are report cards, where families get a brief evaluation of how their student is doing in class each marking period. A teacher can also give guardians more information by giving a negotiated report, where the teacher describes how the student is doing in the 3 areas the guardian(s) are most concerned about. After assessments are evaluated and progress is shared, it's important to celebrate student accomplishments! Students work very hard to learn and it's important to recognize that and remind them that they're doing their best and their best is wonderful!