After looking at the video of Bart Simpson in the classroom during an assessment I realized how realistic the setting was. I've seen assessments in my own classroom play out similar to that of Bart's experience. Students are asked to sit in "test taking" positions, and students are asked to think to themselves, focus on their own papers and complete the tests. In my own classroom, I see the district check ins (such as benchmarks and CSTs) take control of what is taught in the classroom. I think assessments play an important role in determining what the students do and do not understand; however I think assessments shouldn't control the classroom. Having assessments guide what students are taught on a daily basis makes it harder for students to focus on the process and only worry about getting the right answer. The questions asked on an assessment also can shape how the students think within a classroom. Asking open-ended questions that relate to real-life are more meaningful and allow students to think more abstractly than a multiple-choice, computational question.
Does understanding how students think help you prepare for your as a teacher?
Looking at Bart Simpson's thought process made me realize that some of my students might actually play out a word problem scenario in their head and as a teacher, I shouldn't interrupt their thought process. This reminds me that I need to allow for more wait time. I also need to make sure students know that there is always more than one way to solve a problem and rushing through a problem is not the best idea. When Bart Simpson thought through the problem and visualized what was going on, he was trying to get a better understanding of what was being asked, rather than doing a procedure and finishing the problem automatically. Asking these questions that require higher is also something I would incorporate in my classroom.
Hi Mariah,
ReplyDeleteYes assessment is a focal point for most classroom teachers because it is being used to evaluate their performance as a teacher. It is unfortunate that this is what quantifies good teaching. In my district we would use benchmarks that were created by an outside company. The principal would review the class performance and make assumptions about the teacher based on the students achievement. Of course not all classrooms are created equal so its not as simple as comparing apples with apples. I agree that the key is for teachers to use assessment that would drive instruction but also as you mention it is imperative to reduce students anxiety when it comes to test taking. Using wait time, class notes to take quizzes, group tests and projects are some things that I have found to be helpful!
Good luck!