Assessment for learning is a formative assessment approach teachers utilize with the main goal of generating feedback that students can use to improve their performance in a certain subject or skill the next time. In assessment for learning strategies, students take the active role in their learning and teachers step back to observe and take the more passive role, only offering feedback and guidance as necessary. Assessment for learning focuses on the teacher and student understanding where the learner currently is, where the learner is going, and how they are going to get there. To let the students know where the learning is going, teachers can share learning intentions and success criteria, to let the learner know where they are now, teachers gather evidence of the learning that is currently occurring, and to let the learner know where it has to go next, teachers provide feedback to guide the learners and help them take the next steps in their learning process.
During my 10-week practicum, I practiced many assessment for learning strategies. Some of them included targeted observations and conversations, informal analysis of students’ work, using strategic questioning strategies, think-pair-share, exit tickets, and providing feedback that guides the learner forward. What I realized about assessment for learning strategies is they are occurring every day, multiple times a day, whether the student and/or teacher knows that is what is happening at the time. The most common form of formative assessment I made use of in my daily teaching is providing targeted feedback that changed the learning that was currently occurring and helped to steer students’ learning in the correct direction. A formative assessment strategy that I did not utilize enough in my 10-week practicum is sharing learning intentions and success criteria with the students. I followed this practice in my first practicum, and sometimes in my second practicum, and had great success, but I did not do this as much with my students in this practicum. Moving forward, I am going to make a conscious effort to share my learning intentions with students and to keep them somewhere where students can see throughout the entire unit we are working on to limit the animosity and confusion between teacher and student. I worked hard to update the students on where they currently were with their learning and how they were going to move their learning forward, but I need to improve on ensuring learners understand where the learning is supposed to be headed from the very beginning. I am excited about the assessment for learning strategies I have developed and I will continue to develop this portion of my practice throughout my entire teaching career.