Assessments have fallen under the “naughty word list” in most teacher vocabulary lists. However, testing and assessment have such a vital part in our instruction if it is done correctly, ethically, and with the best intentions of the students in mind. We all have mandates that we must meet or perform for, yet what doesn’t make sense is the way that our teaching has veered off course to strictly teach toward those tests and mandates. It only makes sense that if our children will be tested on it; they need to be able to do it. However, what even good educators sometimes lose focus on is the manner in which they prepare for high-stakes testing.
Rubrics are wonderful devices to aid learning and let students know what is expected of them on certain assignments or projects. However, sometimes rubrics can get “overdone” in writing, especially with the use of the 6-trait writing rubric. While we don’t want to shift focus away from how valuable rubrics can be for setting expectations, we also do not always want students to be so focused on having their writing be uniform and with certain logistics. I loved the quote that Tom Newkirk says, “It’s not what the writing has- it’s what the writing does.” Rather than using a rubric all the time for writing, use professional common sense and respond to writing in a way that is productive and builds the writer up. Also, let the students help prepare the rubrics.
One of the best quotes from this chapter and also one that I’d like to frame for my own sake: “The best test preparation is excellent teaching.” Students need to do a lot of writing, in many different settings, styles, and purposes. It all boils down to the good, ethical teaching practices that we want to use as teachers, yet feel so overwhelmed that sometimes we forget. We must set high expectations, create self-efficacy in our students so they can write independently, and we must have a balance of the skills we teach in our mini-lessons and conferences.
Some questions to ponder about this chapter:
• What was the last piece of writing that I read and what made it memorable?
• Do I do more assessing of learning or for learning?
• When do I use rubrics and what is their purpose in my assessment or instruction?
• What kind of data do I use to inform my instruction in writing?
• What assessments “for” learning do I use?
“The best test preparation is excellent teaching.” I actually wrote this down also in my notes! I completely agree with this quote and wish that we didn't do so much test prep but actually just continued teaching until the test and then it would be normal after the test. Many kids are so done with reading now that the reading state assessments are over and they aren't feeling like learning. Sad but true.
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