Standard+8


 * Standard 8

Teachers know how to test for student progress.** The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the pupil.


 * Evidence**




 * Rationale **

In foreign language, much of my assessment is oral. I give out written tests to test for basic understanding of important grammar concepts, but my main objective is always to get them speaking in Spanish. Day one in class, I tell the students, ¨do not worry about making a mistake, worry if you do not try.¨ it takes some students a little while to get over the fear of speaking in a different language, but eventually, they get used to it. I

When they do everyday speaking I do not use formal assessment in the form of rubrics, I use what I call ¨pagames¨ which means ¨pay me¨ in Spanish. If they do not know what I´m talking about, or do not attempt to answer the question or participate in the speaking activity, they lose a ticket; the students each have 10 tickets every week. This is their participation grade in the class. This system has worked well because grading is very easy. Every Friday, I count all of the ¨pagames¨ that I collected during the week and record the grades. It takes about 1 minute to grade all 150 students. In my 6 years of teaching, I have learned what does not work, through trial and error. I found out that anything that takes a lot of my time is not going to be beneficial to my classroom management or the learning environment.

I use rubrics when they have a big project or presentation. The students are formally assessed with rubrics that always focus on their pronunciation, grammar and creativeness. Students always know exactly what they did wrong, and how to get the grade they want the next time. 


 * KSD **


 * 5.K.4 the teacher understands the principles of effective classroom management and can use a range of strategies to promote routines and positive relationships, cooperation, and purposeful learning in the classroom. **

Throughout my years of teaching, I have tried many discipline strategies and it took me awhile to find one that works for me. For a few years now, I have been using a method that motivates the students and makes very little extra work for me. The ¨pagame¨ system works great with my freshman. The juniors and seniors require much less disciplinary action from me. **5. S.4 The teacher maximizes the amount of class time spent in learning by creating expectations and processes for communication and behavior along with a physical setting conducive to classroom goals.**

My goal for my Spanish students is always to get them talking. Students know that if they do not try to speak Spanish in my class, they will not do well. This is an expectation that I share with them the very first day. They have a very clear understanding of how to do well in my class.

I always have students with a wide range of abilities in my classes, especially in Spanish 1. It takes some of them awhile to understand how to pronounce all of the letters of the alphabet. I make sure to tell students that I make mistakes all of the time, in my speaking. I also remind them of people that are learning English, and how they say things differently than we do
 * 5. D.5 The teacher is committed to continuous development of individual students’ abilities and considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this development for each student. **