Teacher-made Tests

Teacher-Made Tests

Teacher-made tests are just as the name, tests made by the teacher. These tests can be Multiple-Choice, Essay, Short Answer, Matching, True/False etc. A good thing about using teacher-made tests, especially those made by you for your own class, is you know exactly what your students need to be tested on. This is important in the classroom, and especially for Special Needs students who may need their test modified. If I was to rate this I would give it a 4/5. My only worry is that some teachers do not make the best tests. Sometimes they show grammar and knowledge mistakes. And even at times a teacher will teach in one way and the test does not reflect what was taught. 

Examples:

Example made by me:

Matching

Directions: Match the equation with the answer by coloring in the matching answers. Use different colors for each.

3 x 3	8 Eight
5 x 2	4 Four
2 x 4	10 Ten
6 x 2	9 Nine
1 x 4	12 Twelve

Conferences & Interviews

Conferences & Interviews

A conference in the classroom can take on many different forms. There can be Parent-Teacher conferences where the parents/guardians of a student come in to meet with the teacher about the student's behavior or grades, or any other issues which may need to be addressed in person. A conference may include or exclude the student. 

A Student-Teacher conference will usually happen in the classroom. This may be to discuss an assignment, the student's behavior, a specific problem within the class such as peer issues, or to simply inform the student of their standing in the grades. Here is a specific list of the kinds of conferences:

Types of conferences 

• During a parent / teacher conference, the parent and the teacher work together to develop a plan 

to ensure the child is performing to the fullest extent. 

• A student-led conference allows students to take the lead as they provide the teacher and their 

parents with examples of their academic progress. It encourages students to take responsibility for 

their learning and to share their work. 

• A group conference provides an opportunity for the teacher to meet with parents in a large or 

small group setting. These meetings can provide information about curriculum, classroom 

expectations, and school programs. Individual student progress or lack of progress is not 

discussed at group conferences

An interview is usually between the parent and teacher. Here are some examples to give you an idea of what they may look like:

This video is a great example of how conferences may go within the classroom:

Written Examples:

Both conferences and interview questions are great to have in every classroom. In order for any student to be successful they need their teacher and parents to be on the same page and to help them through the school year. I would rate both of the a 4/5 only because I am sure may teachers and parents do not take this strategy in school very seriously for their student. 

Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers

 Graphic organizers are basically any visual framework that helps the learner make connections between concepts. Some forms of graphic organizers are used before training, to remind the learner about what they already know about a subject. A student can make and use a graphic organizer in any and all subject areas. Students of all levels can use them as well to help study or learn concepts and lessons. They turn the lessons into visual knowledge, so you are helping students who also are avid visual learners.  They are known to help: relieve learner boredom, enhances recall, provide motivation, create interest, clarify information, assist in organizing thoughts, promote understanding.

I would give such a strategy a rating of 5/5 because I believe that this is a great way to get students to see lessons and concepts easier. It also opens up their creativity side which I also believe helps in gaining a higher understanding in the classroom.

Examples:

Made by me:

a	+	b	=	c
2	+	4	=	6
1	+	5	=	6
3	+	3	=	6

Matrix & Rubrics

Matrix

A matrix is used in the classroom just like a Rubric would be. The main difference is that a Matrix is used for behaviors and not scoring a specific assignment. Student's should learn how to be respectful to each other and to their teacher at an early age. Using such a guideline would help students in being more aware of their own behavior as of that of their classmates. I would rate this strategy with a 4/5. I believe that behavior is very important in a classroom setting and that children should be learning positive behaviors not only at home but in the classroom.

Rubrics

Rubrics are used to outline the expected criteria of an assignment. Rubrics include a number score which is then used to determine a student's grade. There can be specific rubrics used for specific assignments or specific subjects. You can alter rubrics to be more accurate for the students you have and the outcome you expect to see. These are important to have in the classroom as they are a great way for students to be aware of how they are going to be graded, and easy for the teacher or person doing the evaluation to score each student accurately and fairly.  I would rate this strategy a 5/5. I like how rubrics outline what is expected of a student in assignments. In doing this everyone (teacher, student, parent) are all on the same page.

Here is a Rubric I made for Special Education:

	Right on track	A Little More to Go	Needs More Time	Showing No Progress
Socializing with classmates	Interacts with classmates easily	Has one or two issues with interaction	Usually unable to interact with classmates	Unable to interact with classmates
Answering questions verbally	Answers 95% of questions verbally	Answers 90% of questions verbally	Answers 80% or less of questions verbally	Answering 0-50% of questions verbally
Staying focused on topic	Stays focused on topic every time	Stays focused most of the time	Stays focused only occasionally	Unable to focus on the topic
Independent learning skills	Showing independence in learning	Showing 90% independence in learning	Showing less than 80% independence in learning	Showing 50% or less independence in learning

Checklist, Learning Logs, Journals

Checklist

There can be many different types of checklists used inside the classroom. You can have observation checklists, student progress checklists, and even skills checklists for special needs students. The most important in my opinion would be the progress checklist. This would be like the 2nd picture example shown below. As a student did an activity or lesson, you would check how they did. Doing this gives both you and the student a better idea of the areas which they may need to work on or are excelling in.

Learning Logs

Learning logs are a resource for both teacher and student. In the learning logs, the students record their responses to lessons and activities given by their teachers. Each log is a record of the child's thinking and learning. The logs are usually a visually oriented development of earlier established models of learning journals, which can become an important part of the teaching and learning program. These logs help turn the student into a more self driven learner. 

Journals

Using journal assignments in class are a great way to get children thinking deeper about not only what the lesson may be on, but also how that lesson may pertain to their every day life. You can have students write in a normal notebook, they may draw pictures to illustrate their journal entry, or you can give them journal worksheets which may have a certain topic which you want them to write on. Some journal entries can be specifically used for discussing classwork or assignments. Maybe the student is unsure of something they were asked to do and they can share that with the teacher via writing. Here are two samples and one sample idea I made:

History Journal Entry   This week we learned about FDR and his bout with Polio. In your journal entry share with me each of the following:   1 paragraph on what you found interesting 1 paragraph on something you were unsure about And 1 paragraph of something more you would like to learn which you read about in this lesson.

Ratings: If I was to rate each of these on a scale of 1-5 of importance to be used in the classroom I would rate them as follows-

Checklist- 4

Learning Logs- 4

Journals- 5

The reason I gave Checklist and Logs a 4 was because I do believe that they would be very helpful to both student and teacher, but I am a believer in journalism especially in the younger years. I believe sometimes students do not ask questions or bring up concerns because they are too nervous to speak directly, so writing can help them communicate even more-so with the teacher. 

Performance Tasks

Performance Tasks

Performance tasks are learning activities that are scored according to specified criteria. These may vary from brief, on-demand tasks to long term, complex projects.

• Use performance tasks to assess students' ability to demonstrate and apply skills and concepts.
• They simultaneously enhance and evaluate students' ability to use appropriate mathematical and science representations.
• Performance tasks may involve explaining one's work or the process used, formulating hypotheses, explaining mathematical or scientific situations, writing procedures, creating new related problems, making generalizations, describing patterns or solutions, and so on.
• Scoring is often accomplished through performance task cards, analytical trait scales, checklists, or holistic scales.

Samples:

Level 1: Grades K-2 Sample Performance Task Your teacher has announced that you will be having a new desk buddy - a student from Florida. You hear she is sad about moving to Maine because it is winter and she feels there will be nothing to do outside. Using The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and your experiences with winter, come up with some ways you can help your new friend understand about possible winter fun. Be sure to provide reasons why winter is fun besides those provided in the book. While rereading the book, you remember how Peter has a dream. Why do you think he dreamt as he did? Have you had similar dreams? Tell what happened and why. You will be assessed on your ability to understand the story, your ability to reread for details, your ability to come up with ideas for winter fun, your ability to make conclusions and your ability to communicate effectivley in a variety of ways.

Level 3: Grades 6-8 Sample Performance Task Your community has allocated a sum of money to be used to purchase books for the library. Not all in the community are in agreement on how the funds will be spent. Speculate on what the various interest groups might be in the community and what their respective points of view may be. Using your knowledge of literature, write letters to various interest groups, the school board and a letter to the editor advocating for a list of books you have developed and why they should be purchased. Be sure to compose your letters to the audience in such a way to elicit their support. You will be assessed on your ability to create a listing of books to be considered for purchase, your ability to develop letters for various audiences and purposes, your ability to analyze the perspectives of others, your ability to construct support for your point of view using the literature books as references and your ability to communicate effectively in a variety of ways.

I believe that it is important to relate lessons being taught in the classroom with daily living outside in the real world. I would use this in my classroom as often as possible, to help my students see that education really is very useful to them.

If I was to rate this, I would give it a 4/5.

Here is a sample made by me:

3rd Grade History/Social Studies Students are to talk with their family to find out where their ancestors came from. Then they are to research those cultures and share with the class. Then, we will all make poster boards to be shown in the classroom to show the diversity of our own lineage.

Multiple Intelligence & Myers Briggs Personality Test

Multiple Intelligence

Every student, every teacher, and every person all have different ways or learning, understanding, and processing information. It is very important as a teacher to understand that when you are teaching, assessing, evaluating, or giving activities in school that you are not focusing on only one area of intelligence. You need to turn lessons into different intelligence areas such as: Take a chapter from a book; have students read the chapter, write about the chapter, draw pictures from the chapter, and act out the chapter in a short role play. Doing this will reach students who need Linguistic, Intrapersonal, Visual, and/or Kinesthetic learning ways.

This photo shows the names and meanings of the 9 different Multiple Intelligence.

As a future teacher, I would rate this type of learning/teaching very high. On a scale of 1-5 I would rate this as a 5. You are focusing in on personal ways that each student learns. If you did not do this, you would not be providing them with the best opportunities to learn.

Sample of a common Multiple Intelligence Test

Myer's Briggs Personality Test

Another helpful test is the Myer's Briggs Personality Test. This test provides teachers with a better understanding of not just how students learn (like the Multiple Intelligence Tests) but to get to know them on a more personal level. This test is believed to actually measure a person's way of making decisions. According to this test there are 16 types of personalities, all made up of 1 of each personalities in the chart below:

This chart lists the 8 different personalities. The test will decide which best resembles your own personality. 

 The test consists of a series of questions, and your answers determine what type of personality you have. This "score" which will give you the letter of your personality (e.g. INFP, ESTJ) provides general assumptions about how your personality type is. Below is a chart showing the 16 different personality scores:

Having your students take such a test may explain certain traits or actions they show in class. If I was to rate this on a scale of 1-5 in importance in the classroom, I would give it a 5 as well.

Both the MI test and the MB test can provide teachers and students with information they may not already be aware of when it comes to that child as a student. These can be very effective in creating lesson plans and helping students meet their higher potential by knowing how they learn and how they perceive things.