Summative Assessment

 

"Okay, let's get started."

"Are you nervous," one student asks another.

I hear a high-pitch yes and see hand clutching and nervous jumping up and down out of the corner of my eye.

Students have an on-demand writing assessment today. Students write in between the lines above the directions and rubric in a Google document. 

Knowing I am deviating from the PLC's practice of giving the same passage to every student in a certain class period, I opened with, "Let me tell you how the assessment is put together."

"You will have the directions on one-side of the page in front of you, with a check list you can use before you submit. On the other side of the page is your passage. We will start with 10-15 minutes of close reading without our computers.  Everyone has a different passage and ---" 

A chorus of moans and groans interrupted me:

"Ugg," 

"OH!" 

"No!"

"Wait, what?" a student said.

"Everyone has a different passage," I repeated. "Is everything okay? You've got this. We've practiced. You're ready." Unbeknownst to students, I intentionally chose passages for each of them to align with thinking they've captured via Leticia Hughes' envelope analysis activities. They are not using their envelopes, nor are they using the one-pager of quotes and questions we used during a Socratic discussion; still, I am hoping ideas align.

"It's fine. It will be fine," one student says.

I was surprised by students' reactions.  What do you think they are expressing or reacting to, I wonder? 

The Slice of Life Story Challenge is hosted by the team at Two Writing Teachers
everyday in March and on Tuesdays throughout the year.