Definition
Educator analyzes degree of student understanding of concepts and procedures, with direct linkages to classroom practices and tasks.
Rationale
Formative assessments are valuable tools in showing teachers how well students are performing but they also indicate how well teachers are teaching. I use informal verbal question techniques to probe deeper in class, but I also check for understanding by examining their class blogs. Both provide significant data as to how an individual student or a class is performing as a whole.
On a different note, I take ongoing personal and spiritual reflection quite seriously and humourously and I try to be cognizant of how the process of reflection affects my professional practice.
I was inspired by Fr James Martin, SJ's book entitled Between Heaven and Mirth and thought of a way of applying myself to seek out joy, humour, and laughter in regular school life. After all, one is bound to encounter some mirthful moments while teaching at an all boys Lasallian Catholic high school! To that end, I kept a running blog of funny times and joyful encounters for my own amusement. Fr James's book and my blog remind me to look at the lighter side of school life.
For this upcoming school year, I've started another blog. This one is dedicated to a more traditional observation of the spiritual side of school life. I like to collect quotations, pictures, and random thoughts to remind me that the adventure of teaching is a noble art and a sacred science.
Evidence
Screenshot: Student Blog: Religious Studies 2: Period 4: Diego Cordova
Screenshot: Student Blog: Religious Studies 2: Period 6: Shane O'Hare