Reflective #7 Formative assessments
Formative assessments are important because they give teachers and students real-time information about learning while instruction is still happening. Instead of waiting for a test or unit exam, formative assessments allow you to identify misunderstandings early and adjust your teaching before small gaps turn into big ones. One unique formative assessment I regularly use in my classroom is a vocabulary-based review game called “Hot Seat”. I first learned about this strategy from a fellow teacher during a PBIS/engagement PD session, and I adapted it to fit my middle-school Social Studies content. Source The original idea was shared informally by a colleague, but I have modified the rules to better assess vocabulary comprehension and student discourse skills. How It Works Set-Up: One student sits in a chair at the front of the room with their back facing the Smart Board . A vocabulary term appears on the screen so that the rest of the class ...