As a teacher candidate I am learning about the value of assessment, evaluation and reporting. My beliefs on assessment are deeply rooted and influenced by my experience in regards to assessment as a student in both primary and secondary school.
I must first note that I am born very late in the school year, the final week of December to be exact, which greatly effected how I was assessed in the very beginning of my educational journey. I began school at the age of four with teachers assessing my skills and knowledge in comparison to my peers, some of which are born at the very beginning of January. I remember always feeling like I needed to keep up and work harder to attain the knowledge and understanding that everyone else had. I remember my mom being told by my grade one teacher that they, "had to watch out for my reading and math skills", which resulted in numerous pages of math review and additional readings at home during the summer. I am grateful for the help and support my mom provided because it enabled me to not only keep up with my peers, but to ultimately excel in grade two.
I remember being sent to the resource room during the first couple of weeks in grade two for math. To be honest, I found the work quite easy and I also liked the prizes I received for completing my work. I also remember feeling sad when a couple of weeks later I was sent back to the regular classroom because the resource teacher said there was nothing wrong with my understanding and application of mathematics. Somehow math seemed much more agreeable to me when incentives were involved!
After this, I spent years doing extremely well in school, my reading was above average, I was engaged in the curriculum, and I generally loved going to school everyday. I remember a shift in my attitudes and behavior at the beginning of grade seven. My grandmother who I was extremely close to died unexpectedly and my parents divorced immediately thereafter. As a child, this was an extremely difficult time for me because I was mentally and emotionally processing allot of change. None-the-less, I still did well at school, however, I wouldn't say that I did my best. Why is this important to know you might ask? This is important in regards to my beliefs on assessment because I remember being told that I was "college material" and not "university material". I also remember my teacher describing me as a "hands on learner", which made me much more inclined to go to college for some reason. I also remember my mom going home after that specific parent-teacher interview and telling me "you can go and be whoever you want if you work hard enough for it!".
This leads to my belief in assessment and using it as a tool for growth and not as a tool for limitation. I remember feeling like somehow I was less than my peers, and in some ways, I felt defeated. Looking back I realized that my mom understood the difficulty I was experiencing in my life and how it directly impacted my academic experience and attitude.
I am so thankful I did not listen to my grade seven teacher. Once I processed the changes in my life, academically I began to excel again. I am proud to say after being labelled as "college material", I enrolled in all academic courses in high school and ultimately graduated with an Honors Degree in English Literature combined with a Cross Disciplinary Certificate in Indigenous Issues. I then proceeded to become a Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist, working in rural and remote Canada. Finally I am now in the process of becoming a teacher, something that I would have never been able to accomplished had I believed my grade seven teacher and her assessment of me and my potential.
I understand that assessment is a critical piece in terms of differentiated instruction because when properly used, it can help identify the most effective strategies and activities to encourage and foster student learning. How teachers evaluate student learning is extremely important. I strongly believe in the concept of, "assessment for learning" as well as "assessment as learning". I also understand that "assessment of learning" is a crucial component of today's educational system and something that I must use in balance when teaching. As a teacher I believe in using assessment for learning to adjust my classroom instruction based upon the needs of my students. This would also enable me to provide valuable feedback on each individuals students' learning. I would also use assessment as learning to actively allow my students to use their assessment to further their learning and understanding. I believe it is imperative for students to be able to reflect on their own learning and to use it in a way to set personal goals and gain autonomy over their own learning. I will also believe in utilizing assessment of learning to measure and record on a students level of achievement in conjunction with the other two forms of assessment. I believe that assessment of learning is a component and not the defining factor when assessing a student. I also believe that when assessment is used to label and define someone, it has great potential to fail a student and deny them of their ability to recognize their own potential while impacting their self esteem.
It is my belief that every student has value and every student has worth no matter their situation. As teachers it is our job to help students recognize their value and self worth, providing them with the confidence, skills and opportunities to succeed.
Thank you for reading!
Ashley
