Assessment strategy

Noora ebrahim
Planning teaching methods for mathematics can be a tricky job. In order to meet the goals in
teaching a lesson, teacher must be skillful enough in designing a lesson because the way
concept being taught is critical in the learning of every student.

Before starting the lesson proper, I always follow a sequence introducing my lesson. First is
engagement. At this stage, I review previous lessons by asking questions to know if they retain
the knowledge and skills from the past, to know if they need more discussion especially to those
who are slow learners and most of all to evaluate their readiness to learn new concept. For
example in my TP after I ask them some question about fraction the last lesson I played with
them I have who has and its works perfectly .
In order to measure students current knowledge I ask them if they have any idea of the new
topic. This falls under diagnostic assessment where it also helps teacher assess students
strength and weaknesses before implementing the lesson. After that I let them watch videos or
songs about the topic to let them familiarize, to have an idea and to gain their attention.

The next sequence is the core were I start to introduce the new topic but beforehand I list the
main aim of the lesson in order for me to focus my discussion on my target goal. On this stage, I
explain the importance of learning the concept and explain the procedure using a PowerPoint or
some helpful visual aids like flash cards or pictures as well as books to enlighten more the
students. The type of teaching also varies on each level of learners. Hence students can't stand
for a long period of listening, I do some quick exercises or ask questions in order to know if they
are absorbing the lesson and to allow some student interaction. Also to know if I need further
explanation particularly to the slow learners.

After covering the entire intended concept, I move to close the lesson. This is the last stage of
the lesson wherein we discuss a brief review of the topic through games, worksheet exercises,
reflection and homework as an assessment. There are lots of different assessment strategies
that I use as a way of evaluating my students' level of comprehension. Every strategy varies
widely on every lesson that I taught, which means some strategies may or may not be
applicable for evaluation because the assessment test should always be parallel to the unit of
study. Some can be use singly or a combination depending on the teacher's target goal about
the topic. But the two most common strategies I use are worksheet and reflection where it falls
under formative assessment. This assessment guides instruction to improve students learning
and provide feedback on the students during and after discussion. These strategies will help
students recall what they had discussed if they were able to absorb or grasp the lesson well.
These will also measure their retention of the topic, to monitor which part of the discussion they
struggle or master and to know if my lesson goal has been met. Furthermore, these strategies
also serve as an evaluation on student's readiness in introducing new topic.

The example of worksheet exams are fill in the blanks, matching type, multiple choice and
problem solving. It is an effective tool in ongoing efforts encouraging students to engage their
brains during or after the class. It can be also effective if the goal is memorization of algorithm. It
is also easy to grade and it keep the more advanced students from becoming disengaged while
they wait for others to finish. It also causes less anxiety for struggling students. It provides a
handy place for students to summarize critical information and they become more focus on the
material at hand. But the problem on this strategy is that students don't develop new ideas,
concept or skills. They also learn in one way and they tend to just guess if they are not sure of
the answer.
On the other hand, reflection after the discussion, after each games or after written exam also
help students deepen their understanding towards the topic because on this strategy we can
discuss what they had not understood or what we hadn't tackle during discussion. It also allows
teacher to help each student monitor individual progress, construct meaning from the content
learned and apply the learnings to other contexts and settings. During reflection they became
more interactive with the teacher and they improve their reasoning capacity. But this strategies
won't work if the discussion time is limited and not all students will be able to express their
concerns.
In conclusion, I recommend to my fellow future teachers that in order to achieve impressive
results in student's learning we should first and foremost have a goal or purpose of the test. It is
also vital to create appropriate assessment questions for the lesson. I also recommend that we
should use a combination of both strategies if we want an excellent result on our student's
learning and performance. During reflection, it is crucial to allow extra time for discussion and as
far as possible reach out for those students who struggle more on exams. I would also
emphasize that teachers should always be empathetic and nonjudgmental to those students
who can't reason out well, instead guide them to the right answer or encourage them to think
solution to the problem. While on worksheet exercises, teachers should use simple words and
sentences so that the students can understand the questions and they won't confuse.
Reference :
Burns , M (2010) Formative Assessment a Practical Approach

Clark , patty. formative assessment math solution online newsletter feature

article .winter 2009

Compiled by K Lambert, OCPS Curriculum Services, 4/2012 Formative Assessment PDF

Hanna, G. S., & Dettmer, P. A. (2004). Assessment for effective teaching: Using context-
adaptive planning. Boston, MA: Pearson A&B.
Just Science Now! (n.d.). Assessment-inquiry connection.
http://www.justsciencenow.com/assessment/index.htm

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