Journal Article
Assessment as an "Emotional Practice"
While searching through results on the ERIC database, the following article's title caught my attention because it addresses something that I have not yet considered when thinking about assessment. The journal article, Assessment as an "Emotional Practice" by Carola Steinberg, considers the teacher's emotions as a variable in student assessment. Emotions are not a new concept to me with assessment in mind, however it has always been the student's emotions I have been considering. For instance, testing anxiety has been brought up numerous times throughout the course of EPSY 4010. It is interesting to consider the other side. Below are three key ideas I wish to highlight from the journal article that I think are worth knowing as a teacher. Feel free the access the article and explore the topic more thoroughly for yourself if interested. The blue links above will grant you access through ERIC.
Teacher Beliefs The article addresses the idea that the decisions teachers make regarding assessment are governed by their emotions and beliefs about what students should know and how they should learn it. If a teacher believe students learn best in a student centered classroom their assessment may be strutted differently than one who believes students learn best from teacher centered instruction.
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Standardized Testing & Accountability The article states that, "For teachers, the internal goods of assessment are the pride and pleasure of observing students’ progress in understanding. Assessment thus connects the inner satisfaction that gives meaning to a teacher’s professional purpose with the outer world of success" (45). This can be connected to an issue many teachers across the country are now facing due to the adoption of the Common Core State Standards. Teachers are now being held accountable for their student's achievement of these standards with standardized tests.
Due to large gaps in opportunity between districts these new more rigorous standards are not easily attained everywhere. Some schools struggle to provide sufficient resources, professional development, and staff to facilitate student achievement. Therefore, some teachers are automatically at a disadvantage to achieve the satisfaction of seeing their students progress. This can take a tole on a teacher emotionally and negatively effect their view on education and teaching. |
The Purpose of Assessment The purpose of assessing students has changed throughout the years as government policies began to use test scores and grades in order to hold districts, and therefore teachers accountable for their students grades.
This article addresses the fact that because of these policy changes the purpose of assessment has transformed from grading the student to grading the teacher. Steinburg goes on to say, "if we want teachers to take up the challenge of formative assessment, we need to talk about releasing the fear of failure and mistakes, and replacing it with enthusiasm for unexpected learning opportunities" (59). Considering assessment as the emotional practice it is will allow teachers to understand that the purpose of assessment is to aid in the creation of lifelong learners. |