My Best Assessment

Group work in a middle school setting sits on a very fine line for me. On one hand, it makes it easier for me to check in with multiple students at once and answer questions in bulk while my other students get experiences working collaboratively. On the other hand, I feel that they can get off task or distracted very quickly, which leads to me having to take away focus from the group I’m with to actively monitor the other students. This setup, however, is what I typically use when I finish giving a lesson and assign math problems for my students to practice. They know that this time is low-stakes and they have whatever support they need in order to try and implement these new concepts.

This is not the case when it comes to quizzes and tests. These assessments have been completely individual with weaning support compared to the other assignments. My best assessment was when I questioned that norm and took the chance on conducting a group quiz. I’ve thought about doing this before, but there were always too many variables and hesitations for me to follow through with it. My main thought was that some students would sit back and let the others do all the work, so why should they be rewarded with a good score? This concern was one of the things that surprised me the most while I floated around the room. Knowing that some students might not be as productive as others, my main focus was trying to spot who that was and intervene. If I spotted a potential coattail-rider, I would question them on what question they were working on and what their thoughts were to solve it. They would try to solve the problem on their own, ask the others in the group for clarification (or a nearby group member would help them if they got stuck) and continue to work through until they got an answer.

After a while, I noticed that there was hardly anyone not actively contributing to the assignment and it clicked: This is what they’re used to doing all the time for their practice. They probably don’t feel external pressure from this being a quiz because it’s in an environment that they feel comfortable working in. This group quiz reminded me that the purpose of these assessments aren’t to track achievement, but are tracking students’ growth in my class. This matches what Stommel (2021) suggests, where unlike standard assessment mechanisms, this group quiz did not demean student work or start in a place of suspicion against the students. My students were showing me that they weren’t only growing in their mathematical knowledge, but also an unintended growth in the ability to work together and rely on others when they don’t feel confident enough to rely on themselves. This aligns with Shepard's (2000) claim that “Our aim should be to change our cultural practices so that students and teachers look to assessment as a source of insight and help instead of an occasion for meting out rewards and punishment” (10).

I was thoroughly astounded by the way this group assessment went. Even my most challenging hour was focused on task, and making meaningful conversation. It can be easy to lose sight of what we’re trying to accomplish in our classrooms. Lucky for me, I was able to find my way back to my original intentions by taking a chance on something new.

References:

Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.

Stommel, J. (2021). Grades are dehumanizing; Ungrading is no simple solution. Jesse Stommel. https://www.jessestommel.com/grades-are-dehumanizing-ungrading-is-no-simple-solution/

Wix. Children at school  [Photograph]. Wix. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_512033916900411684c3f51ed6bb2dd6~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_525,h_350,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/11062b_512033916900411684c3f51ed6bb2dd6~mv2.jpg

Wix. Modern classroom [Photograph]. Wix. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_73e69c0bfc9b49ce8e001cc70aeeb043~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_525,h_348,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/11062b_73e69c0bfc9b49ce8e001cc70aeeb043~mv2.jpeg

Wix. Teacher helping student [Photograph]. Wix. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a59c6ac312a34f0d85792d37342b3130.jpg/v1/fill/w_525,h_350,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/a59c6ac312a34f0d85792d37342b3130.jpg