I Value my Evaluations

Everyday I enter the classroom I bring along with me something from my childhood, from my school days and professional affiliations. It is hard to create an evaluation without incorporating my beliefs into it. Sometimes it works for the good of the class and other times it causes me to re-evaluate my personal belief system. One of the biggest challenges I face daily is getting the majority of my class to believe in the "system". A system they have been taught to distrust and dislike because of what they have experienced or what they have "heard". No matter if it is a formative or a summative assessment, I am constantly met with resistance. During those times I am compelled to lay down my teacher hat and put on the "mama bonnet" or the "auntie's tam". I have to remind myself to not put on the "judge's robe" because I am dealing with children who must at times be redirected, re-programmed and re-evaluated. Once I have incorporated my values into the assessment component, some students begin to look at the assessment for what it is worth- a test of their knowledge. My students are then able to look at each situation individually opposed to a blanketed one. So the long and the short of it is.....I BELIEVE MY PERSONAL VALUES HAVE AN OVERWHELMING AFFECT ON THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS USED AND FOR THIS I AM GRATEFUL AND PROUD ALL AT THE SAME TIME. After all, a great part of who I am is in part due to the teachings I received in pre-school, elementary, middle, and high school, college, graduate school, and other professional affiliates.