EPIC Teacher's Guide - Book - Page 20
d. End of Unit Self-Assessment
Reflecting on the learning process and assessing progress is a valuable skill for
learners of all ages. Involving pupils in the assessment process allows them to be
accountable for and express how they see their own learning, strengths, and
weaknesses. This enables the teacher to understand the pupil’s learning process
from his/her perspective. As Susan Wortham, an expert on early childhood and
elementary education states, “By the time the child is in the primary grades, selfassessment improves. They can evaluate their progress and have a voice in how they
can best succeed in mastering learning objectives. Assessment is not just
administered to students but accomplished with active participation by the
student.” (Wortham and Hardin 2001).
The self-assessment activity should be completed at the end of each unit. The
teacher should read the items together with the class to make sure they understand
what is written. Pupils must be encouraged to answer honestly and be reassured
that the information will help make teaching and learning more effective. It is not a
test and will not be graded.
e. Teacher Assessment
Once pupils have completed the self-assessment page, it should be collected and
reviewed to detect any major issues. The teacher then fills in his/her assessment of
each pupil on each of the items and adds comments.
Additionally, the teacher is provided with Unit Assessment Rubrics that clearly
display all the Can-Do Descriptors targeted in each unit, as well as rubrics for each
performance task in the program. The teacher should use these to mark the
progress of each pupil at the end of the unit.
Using the Assessment Activity, the Self-Assessment Activity, the Unit Assessment
Rubrics, and the Performance Task Rubrics, the teacher has a clear picture of a
pupil’s development in the language. Assessments from previous units should be
compared, paying attention to any discrepancies, or noting improvements. All these
assessment tools serve as a basis for the Pupil-Teacher Conference.
Performance Task Assessment Rubrics are provided in the section of Assessment in
the Appendix.
f.
The Pupil-Teacher Conference
During the first week or two after a unit has been completed, the teacher meets
individually with pupils (this can be done while the class is working in their Course
Books). During the conference, the teacher discusses the pupil’s progress and
together they decide on what can be done to improve learning. During the meeting,
the teacher should, together with the pupil, review work in the Course Book and ask
the pupil specific questions about what s/he is learning in class. Pupils’ selfassessment responses may be related to a general sense of low self-esteem or
confidence in English. The teacher can use the opportunity to provide support and
enhance the pupil’s confidence by pointing out areas in which s/he is doing very
well.
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