What assessment means to me...

The typical idea that is associated with the term assessment often goes along the line of long, boring, stressful, etc. Classroom assessment is a process which should be used to support and enhance students' learning. Assessment is used for diagnosis, grading, instruction, and accountability. A child can be assessed by various ways, most traditionally through tests and rubrics.

In my personal opinion, I think the most successful way to evaluate a student is a combination of traditional and non-traditional assessments. Tests and quizzes are reliable ways to judge a student's capabilities and level, but it should not be the only measurement used. A teacher should also challenge student's to tasks such as working well together, creativity, effort, etc., by observing them in activities that do not hold such negative pressures as tests. It is important for teachers to create an environment that students do not always feel stress because it will most likely suppress their true capability to learn. Through this, a teacher is also helping students to learn and intellectually grow as individuals in and outside of the classroom. Students must learn how to study, comprehend material, and be able to show their knowledge through tests and papers. It is equally important to teach children how to think outside of boxes and circles and to allow their mind to expand past them.