A report on the development of practice in assessment during a PGCE year
Abstract
Assembling this report has been a valuable experience. I have had the opportunity to reassess some of the work I have done over the last eight months, some of which I had all but forgotten as the course moved quickly on. This in itself was a reminder for me to continue to build into my practice time to re-examine lessons and activities that can so easily be filed away under ?Ǩdone that, move on?ǨѢ. The levels of monitoring and assessment in each placement were very different; however, even where there was little formal assessment (Placement 1), the experience of Placement 2 helped me to contextualise this as I could begin to see how I would do things differently, and indeed, even initiate forms of assessment, if I could have my time again.
If I had ranked at the start of the course what I considered to be the priority areas for teaching and learning, assessment would not have made it into the top three. As I head into the final lap of my PGCE I find myself placing assessment very high on the priority list. As I have discovered, assessment in its many forms is a key part of raising self esteem and for motivating students, for taking students to the next level and for celebrating their success. It provides the teacher with critical information that can be looped back into the teaching and learning cycle. I have great deal more to learn in this area but my commitment to the process will ensure that assessment and monitoring will form one of the main components of my NQT year.
Please note: This article has supplementary files
Editor-in-Chief: Prof Norbert Pachler
UCL Institute of Education, University College London
ISSN 1746-9082