Authentic Assessment

In the EROD for my three-day solo, my master teacher wrote a criticism that I think is still applicable. She wrote: “Shannon has an emerging grasp how to develop an instructional plan. She should include extending the lesson to include community outreach.” This criticism is accurate. My curriculum and instruction professor always encourages his students to make assessments “authentic.”

My master teacher's criticism is very appropriate. I want to give my students opportunities to do meaningful things and to extend their learning outside of the classroom. I was feeling pretty good about my teaching approach. But after my master teacher's comment, I realized that I was confusing engaging for authentic. They are not the same thing.

In the future I want to have students go out into the community and become leaders. Talking about leadership within the walls of the classroom is much different from pushing students to go "outside the walls" and put leadership to the test. For example, for my Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry unit I could have had students identify an injustice in society and find an organization in the community that is working to address the problem. As an assessment of their emerging leadership and writing skills, I could have had students keep a journal and give a presentation to the community about the problem.

Truthfully, I am too exhausted and stretched thin to be able to take my teaching to the next level. I feel bad about saying this. I do not want to shortchange my students. I do not understand where teahers find the time to do these types of things with their students.