So What Do They Really Know? Teaching Resource Recommendation
When I first started teaching ESL, I remember spending hours scouring the internet searching for help. Advice, ideas, theories, anything. Sadly, I was quite disappointed with what I found. It seemed everything with the letters “ESL” in it was geared specifically for children, and I discounted things that didn’t have those troublesome letters in it. There was so much out there, but none of it was for me. Pretty quickly, I gave up searching all together, I’m sad to say.
But in the last few years, while I still haven’t found a lot of great ESL resources, I’ve learned that a great resource doesn’t have to have the word “ESL” in it. Teaching is teaching. No matter where or to whom.
Here’s one of my favorite books that helps me think differently about assessments and working with my students.
The book is called, So What Do They Really Know? and it was written by Cris Tovani, and fights against the traditional ideas regarding assessments and exams.
We all know tests are not the most accurate representation of a student’s ability, since there are too many variables involved on the day of the test. Exams can never show us the whole picture or situation; instead they are like polaroids, capturing a moment in time. It might be blurry, and it might not perfectly encapsulate everything that was happening at the event.
First, Tovani breaks down the two types of assessment, formative and summative. Big words, I know. Basically, formative assessment is on-going assessment. It could be in the form of homework, review games, teacher observations, quizzes, or in-class work time. Summative assessments are what we think of when we first hear the word, “assessment.” These are our final exams or standardized tests.
Formative assessments are like a trip to the doctor’s office. He can tell us what our current medical situation is, what we can improve, and what we’re doing right. If we have a small cold or issue, he can correct it without much effort. Summative assessments are more like autopsies. We can dig deep and discover exactly what the problem is and what went wrong. But it’s too late. Sure, they tell us a lot, but they don’t stop someone from dying. In order to truly help our students, we need to use more formative assessment to help them before they end up in a summative assessment.
So how to have more formative assessments in class? Well, teachers need to be talking less. Fewer lectures and more observed practice is the name of the game. Ask students to give a reason, example, opinion, or contradiction to the class material. Show them that not every answer has a clear, correct answer. Sometimes the answer to the question is, “I don’t know.” Sometimes, you need to ask a thousand more questions before you come to a satisfactory answer for yourself. Allow them to work together or even work separately, while you are able to observe how they are learning, which students are struggling, and which students breeze through the material. You can come in to help students and clarify things one-on-one.
A last point Tovani discussed was the value of teaching students how to self-assess. Allow them time to reflect on their own learning, and what they don’t yet know. Have them reflect together in a group, write journals about what they learned in class, or write Post-it notes with questions that the still don’t understand. Turn class into a discussion, and student will also be able to take an analytic eye to their own studies. Help them take ownership of their own learning!
Tovani touched on a variety of other topics as well, such as feedback, building confidence, getting students to participate, and how to get to know your students. This book has been one of my favorites to help me step back and analyze what I’m doing in my classroom. It’s a must read for any new or veteran teacher! So, excuse me, but I’m gonna go back and re-read it now.
Here’s a link if you’d like to purchase the book on Amazon:
Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/What-They-Really-Know-Assessment-ebook-dp-B009P4O65C/dp/B009P4O65C/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1571540718
All opinions are my own. I receive no monetary support from this recommendation.