LEGENDARY Teacher's Guide - Book - Page 17
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.
Using the Assessment Activity, the Self-Assessment Activity, 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.
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’ self-assessment
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.
g. Rethinking as a Result of Assessment
Much can be learned from the information that is gathered with the assessment tools provided in
this program. Assessment helps summarize the class progress and guide instruction. By looking at
the assessments, the teacher will get a full picture of the can-dos that have been achieved by the
class and those that the majority of the class have not mastered yet. In such a case, reviewing those
objectives would be in order. If the objectives have not yet been achieved, a conscious effort should
be made to reenter these teaching items systematically in subsequent lessons so that everyone will
acquire them. This will avoid gaps in knowledge later on.
In addition to guiding instruction, the assessment tools allow the teacher to monitor each pupil’s
achievements and to identify difficulties. By looking across each pupil’s performance on the
checklists, it is easy to see what the child knows or does well, and what s/he still has not yet
mastered. In order to help the pupil improve on these objectives, extra help and practice should be
provided.
Finally, the assessment tools provide insight into the pupils’ affective needs and self-concept. If a
pupil’s self-assessments are particularly low or if s/he indicates no enjoyment in participating in class
activities, this should be taken very seriously and addressed. Opportunities for showing the pupil
his/her strengths and providing encouragement and praise should be created by:
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calling on the pupil when s/he raises his/her hand to volunteer or offer a response.
praising the pupil for his/her effort, willingness, response, etc. during class activities.
having a dialogue during the Pupil-Teacher Conference.
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