BestAssess' Quick Student Needs Assessments

“You’re a teacher, love”. These are the words spoken by my mum, with that knowing look that mothers seem to have, when I was a little girl. Here I am – a teacher and it’s one of my greatest loves.

I am a primary school teacher and feel right at home in the junior years (F-2).

Teaching is rewarding, but let’s face it, it can be a tough gig! Working 60 hour weeks, stressing on the weekends and never quite ticking off every item on the seemingly never ending list of things to do is a well known feeling in our teacher community. What are two of the most challenging aspects of teaching? For many, like me, it’s probably assessment and the T word . . . you guessed it, TIME!

I remember thinking to myself a few years ago, ‘There must be a better way. How can I work smarter and not harder to do the best I can for my students and my team?’ I felt that I was missing something and I wanted to find out what it was! So, this year I graduated from a Masters of Education, specialising in Assessment & Pedagogy. You know how it goes, ‘the more you learn the less you know’ . . . but I can say I did learn that there ARE ways to work smarter and not harder, especially with assessment. Over the past 2 years I have built a deeper understanding and skill set of evidence based assessment practices that have benefited my students, and have literally changed my life in the classroom (and in my personal life), because of the extra understanding, confidence and hours I have gained. Those gained hours are spent with other great loves of mine . . . friends, family and my dog, Tilly!

My mission is not to merely produce an assessment resource. It’s more than that. It’s to create engaging, efficient assessment resources for students and teachers that actually impact student learning, save your precious time, and help deepen your content knowledge.

With experience and a specialisation in assessment, I break assessment down into three main principles that will really progress your students’ learning, and change your life in the classroom (and at home) because of the extra understanding, confidence and hours you can gain through BestAssess assessments.

1. Engaging Assessment

Carefully designed and appealing assessments for your children that consider reducing cognitive load and promoting independence, while eliciting the knowledge, skills and dispositions that you are looking for, in accordance with the Australian or Victorian Curriculum. Assessments are fun and short. They allow your students to celebrate their learning as they progress along the included continuum.

2. Efficient Assessment Practice (tools)

The practices, resources and tools collate rich and valuable diagnostic, formative and summative data, in a visual and organised view, for efficient analysis. BestAssess products significantly reduce the risk of your students falling through the cracks! Differentiate with target accuracy. Participate in data discussions with ease. Report to parents with confidence. Trust your teacher judgement.

3. Enhanced Content Knowledge

Assessments come with, and align with, a learning progression (continuum). The student assessments and teacher recording sheets place children on the progression map, helping you to identify what the children understand, what their goal is and where they are going next! Once your whole class is placed on the progression, whole class focuses, small focus groups and individual goals become clear, in a snapshot! Planning learning intentions, lessons, differentiated pull out groups and conferences will become a breeze! You will add your new understanding of learning progressions to your repertoire of knowledge. You will know what to look for in your students. You will know how to best scaffold their learning.

I am really looking forward to connecting with all of you! Check out my IG @bestassess.ment and say hey!

#engagingassessment

#assessment

#efficientassessmentpractice

#enhancedcontentknowledge