LE2 Reflection - Assessment

 

  

This module helped me to better understand what is needed to properly assess the learning of children with learning disabilities (LD). I have always struggled with assessment because there is no one-size-fits-all method for all children. As a classroom teacher I found myself getting overwhelmed because it is so difficult to know so many kids deeply enough to be able to make assessment equitable for all. I never felt like I was doing it right and I certainly didn’t feel like I was doing enough. 

This is why I am so excited about my self-contained LD class. Starting in September, my class will have 8 kids. They all have significant LD profiles and will all need their own programming. But it’s 8 kids and I feel like this is manageable. I’m so excited that I will have the time to dig deep and really know them. I have a wonderful team of people around me (SERTs, administrators, instructional program leaders, coverage teachers, integration teachers, etc.) who will be wonderful supports. My goal is to find a way to document the profiles of each child in a way that is accessible to all of the educators who will be working in my classroom. The school board has a preferred method for doing this, but I haven’t explored that in great depth yet. (Saving that for after this course. One thing at a time!) I want people to be able to come into my classroom and have the information they need at their fingertips, which will include basic profile information as well as accommodations that are in place and goals that are currently on our radar.  

I have loved how a lot of the material we have worked with during this module has placed a lot of focus on including parents in the process of assessment. This year, in my role as a SERT, I have learned a great deal about the parent connection piece -- and just how important it is. This is another reason why I want to have easily accessible assessment data on my kids. I want to be prepared to compare notes with parents as needed, which I expect will be quite regularly.

Some significant learning for me was in the review of assessment for, as, and of learning. I was in teachers college when Growing Success was published, and I never fully understood the difference between for and as learning. I think that has to do with the fact that the people who were teaching me about assessment also didn’t fully understand it. Now that I have revisited the document and considered it in depth as it relates to working with special needs students, it makes more sense to me. I particularly love the focus within assessment as learning on teaching kids to think about their own learning and giving them ownership of their goal setting and progress. This will be so helpful as we work together in September on things like self-advocacy cards and setting attainable goals.  

There is so much for me to learn about assessment! I know I won’t have all the answers by September, but with every passing activity we complete in this course I am more and more grateful to have new knowledge and resources to draw on. In nine years of teaching I have never been so excited about what the new school year will bring.