@ssessment

January 2006- It is assessment time again. There are lots of things that I love about teaching, but assessment using a scantron is not one of them. I have given a lot of tests in the past 1.5 years of teaching and have found that I prefer to give kids projects instead of unit tests. As an interactive teacher I like to assess kids with one on one conversations, small group discussions and even short writing assignments where they can tell me what they know in a low stress environment.

Tests that have worked best for me:
1. Projects- kids get to express their ideas in their own ways.
2. Writing Assignments- every student can tell what they know without worry about the right answer.
3. Conferencing- when you have the time and resources this assessment builds student/teacher relationships and can get you the best results.