Vignette 5

Getting What They Deserve?

            This vignette tears me a little and makes me really think about what I will have acceptable in my classroom. I think that work habits and attendance should be considered when giving students grades. However, I do agree that if a student is absence it should have some effect on the grade given. With that said just because a student does not come to school does not mean they are low achievers and would not be able to do well in school. Which means it would be hard to say for sure that they aren’t smart and can’t learn. In my classroom I would give grades for attendance, effort, and participation in the classroom but I do not think I would have them weighting as much as work completed. I know however that attendance, effort, and participation will reflect on work completed or not completed. As I have said in my other blogs I think I am a little old school when it comes to grading. I just believe that things like attendance, effort, and participation should hold a lower weight then submitted work and by taking an average of it all for report card time then a student will see how s/he is doing. By seeing a grade on a report card should be enough ambition for a student to continue what they are doing or change what they have been doing to be better. Teachers can only push a student so far and then the students have to start being held accountable for what they choose to do.

            The work habits that will be valued in my classroom are a mixture of attendance, effort, participation, and submitted work.

Vignette 4

What Counts?

           

            I continue to say that I will not fully know how to answer these questions until I have a classroom of my own. But as I was driving home from class on Monday I told myself I cannot keep thinking like that. I have to plan how I will do it when I do get my own classroom. Yes, there will be circumstances that will affect my decisions but for now I have to decide how I want my ‘perfect’ classroom to run.

            In determining grades in my classroom, achievement factors will play a bigger role in a grade than non-achievement factors will. However, non-achievement factors still have to be considered. Teaching in middle school I feel is the most crucial time period in a student’s life and their teachers can make a huge difference. Teachers in Alberta are paid to teach the Alberta curriculum and students really have to learn it. So, in my classroom 95 -98 percent of a grade will come from achievement of the objectives of a topic. The other 2-5 percent will come from the growth of the students, be it emotionally or socially in the classroom. I think that a student’s personal growth affects their grades and should be taken into consideration. As research says non-achievement factors help motivate student’s which is why I feel that 2-5 % of a grade is significant enough to do this. Also, if the percentage was larger than motivation can tip the scale from a B to an A. This big jump in grade change I feel is to large, so in my classroom 2-5 % is all that will be given for non-achievement factors.

            In conclusion I have thought about it and I feel my decision of 95-98 percent given for achievement in a classroom is significant enough and 2-5 percent is quite enough to give for non-achievement factors.

Vignette 8

Decisions, Decisions

            Through reflecting on these vignettes I think I am starting to realize I am a little old fashion, or old school as some might say. I do agree with both formative and summative assessment. Also, I agree with allowing opportunities for all students to succeed or feel some sort of success. In my classroom I think I will allow summative assessment account for the majority of a student’s grade but the formative assessment will be averaged into it. I just feel that if students are working on projects and you are giving them verbal feedback and helping them while they are doing it the changes should be made for the final submission. Therefore there was no grade appointed for the formative assessment but it was reflected on the final product. If the student’s considered your feedback then the summative assessment grade should be around the same as the formative and summative averaged together. I think that if the students are listening to verbal formative assessment then whatever they are working on will be adapted to the advice given therefore a higher grade will be received when it is handed in for final submission. I think formative assessment should be communicated between the teacher and the student so the student understands that even if they do not receive a written grade they need to take all guidance/advice into consideration when handing something in.  

            On the flip side of that if there is no proof (written proof) to back up that formative assessment has taken place then it may come back on the teacher in a negative way. If a student has been given feedback that would help them succeed and they do not use it than the teacher looks bad because there is nothing to back her/him up that formative assessment has taken place.

            I am still undecided about how I would use formative assessment in my classroom but I think I would combine it with summative assessment to get an average to appoint a grade. I do believe that assessment plays a big part in student success and students wanting to continue to work hard. I think any form of assessment is good for students as long as it is done in an effective and in an efficient way.