Student Assessment Philosophy

I believe in using a variety of formative and summative assessments to measure student mastery.

What This Looks Like in My Classroom

In my classroom, I use the following formative assessment tools to monitor students' understanding in real time.

  • Worksheets
  • Essay questions
  • Quizzes
  • Bellringers
  • Exit tickets

This approach allows me to continuously monitor student understanding, adjust instruction, and make informed decisions about pacing.

For summative assessments, I design authentic projects and writing experiences that allow students to demonstrate mastery, take academic risks, and develop transferable skills that extend beyond the classroom.

Finally, I prioritize reflective teaching practices, using assessment data to refine my instruction and ensure that all assessments are intentionally aligned with learning objectives and standards.

Why this Matters

Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that assessment is not just a measure of learning, but a tool that actively supports student growth.

Formative Assessment Examples

During my student teaching experience, I developed the following formative assessments to monitor student understanding and support learning throughout our unit on The Great Gatsby.

This exit ticket serves as a quick formative assessment to gauge students' understanding of Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby and their ability to identify specific characters. This assessment is directly tied to the daily learning intention: "Students will be able to analyze the significance of setting and how it contributes to characterization." 

By asking students to name a character and identify two traits, or details used to introduce them, the task requires students to recall textual information and demonstrate initial understanding of how F. Scott Fitzgerald develops characters. Student responses provide immediate feedback on comprehension and helps inform instructional decisions for the following lesson.

This vocabulary Blooket serves as a formative assessment to monitor student understanding of key terms found in The Great Gatsby. The activity provides a low-stakes opportunity for students to practice vocabulary while receiving immediate feedback. Because the adolescent brain is highly responsive to reward-based motivation, the gamified format increases engagement by offering quick reinforcement and encouraging active participation. This structure reflects behaviorist learning principles, as students receive immediate feedback and reinforcement that helps strengthen vocabulary recall.