For my connection with two different teachers, I spoke with two different high school classroom teachers, Miss. Cross and Mrs. Walbaum. They both had lots of insights on the idea of assessment, and how it is used in both of their positions. Although they both teach high school, I had two very different conversations with each of them.
Personally, the first thing I think about when it comes to assessments is written tests, so I questioned both the teachers on their opinions as well. Cross stated that she can see where written tests may restrict some students from showcasing what they know but she still gives them out to her students because she strongly believes that reading, comprehending and responding to things on paper should be a skill that students should have and be practicing. I agree, although I know that all students have their own set of strengths and weaknesses and that may or may not be written tests, I still think that it is a good idea for students to practice these skills as many jobs after their school will require these skills. But that still doesn’t mean that I want to give out written tests to my students all the time. Walbaum also stated a very similar answer that she gives out written tests to her students but that is not the only type of assessment being done. She said that she balances written exams and major projects equally to allow students to thrive in their own areas. She believes that tests are only showing that students have an ability to memorize information and repeat it. After hearing both of the teachers respond to this question and thinking more deeply about it, I came to a perfect middle ground in order to help students succeed, to create my own written exams with different portions of work in order to encompass many different ways to show understanding rather than just short and long answer responses. I think that this technique would better suit a lot of students and really help them to reach their full potential.
During my interviews we also went into detail about formative assessments, what their favorite ones were and how they believed that it helped in their classroom. Cross said that her favorite type of formative assessment was exit slips because it gives students a chance to reflect on what they have learned right after they’ve put it into practice, as well as a bit of freedom to share what they learned without pressure. Although I like exit slips and think they are a great idea, I feel that they could only be useful if the exit slips are handed back to the students after they have been marked by the teacher. In my mind, students are supposed to absorb the information and be able to recall what they have learned and how to complete different tasks for quite some time after they learned it, and exit slips for assessments are only showing the teacher that they can recall what was taught not long after. After talking with Walbaum we both agreed that exit slips would be most beneficial for students and teachers if they were just checked for understanding of knowledge by the teacher immediately, then handed back to the student to be kept in a book and used as a study tool. Walbaum also stated that she does not have a favorite formative assessment and it differs from child to child each year.
Not only did we talk about formative assessments but summative assessments as well. Personally I like summative assessments over formative assessments as it tells me how far the student has come over the course of the unit/semester. Another reason that I enjoy them more is because they tend to be a lot bigger assignments which means I can make them a lot more fun and interactive for students. Walbaum stated that she has very strict rubrics when it comes to summative assessments because she needs to know exactly what students know and what they still need to learn by the end of the . She also had similar thinking to Cross, stating that she likes to offer choice and it should never be a one size fits all because it’s neither fair or accurate. As for Cross she stated that she likes to give students choice projects so they can showcase their understanding of concepts or text in a way they know how to and that they find interesting. She says that she tries to give students choices while also hitting all the major skill areas in which they will display their knowledge. I really like this because this shows that each student is unique. Although my thinking did change after my conversation with Cross, prior I believed that I could use the same layout or template from year to year but Cross said that the choices she gives students vary by year depending on who is in the class and what their different strengths are. But that makes a lot more sense to change it and mold it to your students from year to year. I want my students to succeed and be able to show their work in a way that they enjoy. I also feel like students are going to become more invested when they choose how they share their knowledge.
After having these conversations with the two teachers, I believe that my thinking did not change all that much. Rather it made me think more in depth about different topics and come to a deeper understanding of assessment.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BOJ1JGJtO6KH7X8yA6eveQrLJCQ235Zc/view?usp=sharing
(link to self-reflection form)