Training guide

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6. Assessing learning

Formative assessment is about noticing learning and involving students in the assessment process. If you do this carefully, then you can plan your lessons to provide support and challenge where necessary. You will also help students take responsibility for their own learning, meaning that they are more aware of what it is you want them to learn, and will ask more questions.

So far you have thought about:

  • making learners aware of what you want them to learn by sharing lesson objectives
  • the importance of moving around the room to listen and watch learners at work
  • different ways of eliciting prior knowledge
  • how to give feedback which is helpful and encouraging.

Activity 3.11: Formative assessment

On the next three pages are three classroom examples, all of which show teachers undertaking formative assessment in different ways. As you listen or read the different examples, in your Teacher Notebook:

  1. make a note of what the grade, subject and topic of the lesson is
  2. write down all the ways in which the teacher is gathering information about the progress of learners (formative assessment)
  3. note down the ways in which teachers use that information to plan teaching.

Compare your analysis with a colleague, and together compile a list of ‘top tips’ for formative assessment. Display this on the wall of the staff room.

Think about a topic that you will be teaching soon, or have just taught. How would you adapt one of the classroom examples for your classroom?