Content Standard 6

Stephanie Goering

The teacher of PK-12 can assess musical knowledge and skills.

For teachers, being able to assess can be one of the most difficult aspects of leading a classroom.
However, having these skills is crucial in allowing your students to develop as musicians,
because without assessment, we would not have measurable outcomes and goals for the students
to achieve.
In my time as an undergraduate, I have been given many opportunities to expand my
philosophy on assessment and how I can utilize it in my classroom. Not only have I learned
about the different ways I can assess students as a teacher, but also how to self-assess in the most
efficient way possible. In my core education classes, we often focus on self-reflection, a very
important form of assessment that I plan on using in my classroom on a regular basis. For
example, after completing a prepared lesson out in the schools, we self reflect on what went well,
what we want to improve on, and what we still dont understand. Another way that you can
assess students based on reflection is to have them complete a KWL chart. This is something you
give to students before they learn something, and they tell you what they already know about the
concept and what they want to learn. This is a very valuable form of assessment because it
allows you to properly plan your lessons based around your students prior knowledge. Along
with self-assessment and reflection, I have also had experiences in enhancing my knowledge of
both informal and formal assessment. Informal assessments are something that we are constantly
giving in every one of our class periods. Ive been able to experience multiple ways of
informally assessing students, like in leading group discussions, or listen to students perform
specific material. These informal ways of assessing student knowledge are crucial, because if
you dont know your students and how they learn, then we cannot provide them with a positive
and encouraging environment in which their musicianship and knowledge can flourish. Informal
assessment is vital in gaging student learning, but formal assessments are also just as important
in a classroom that supports students growth as musicians and lifelong learners. In my
undergraduate career, I was able to create an assessment portfolio based on how I would evaluate
my students in the curriculum I had created. This allowed me to really begin to develop a deeper
understanding for assessment that I think will benefit my students in my future classroom. When
assessing students, whether that be formally or informally, it is essential to always have an end
goal in mind. I base my assessments off of the goals that my students and I will work together to
create, and strive to ensure that each assignment and goal has a measurable outcome. Assessment
is a tool that is used to gage student learning, and promote success in our classrooms. It is all
about the process, and staying true to our philosophies as educators while still maintaining a
student-centered classroom.
The outlook that I have been able to obtain on assessment and how it can be best
implemented to serve the needs of my students has helped to prepare me for its use in my future
classroom. By utilizing these different forms of assessment, I am better able to help facilitate the
learning process, while allowing my students to develop their creativity and musicianship skills
at an appropriate pace. Assessment is the key in creating a productive environment for our
students to function to the best of their abilities.