I assess my language classes using a student-centered approach that has earned Harvard University’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning Certificate of Distinction and Excellence in Teaching.
In my language classes, I assess student development using formative and summative methods. During class sessions, I quickly assess student understanding with task-specific learning comprehension checks, peer evaluation, storyboards, and total physical response (TPR). At the end of substantial units, I assess interpretive reading and listening skills, presentational writing and speaking skills, and interpersonal communication abilities with activities such as information gaps, games, real-life simulations, and public product development.
I encourage student development by incorporating self-reflection into the assessment process. At the midterm and end of the semester, students submit a portfolio with evidence they provide to show that they have met the ACTFL Can-Do Goals I have assigned for each unit in our class. In providing their multimodal evidence—whether in the form of a recorded conversation, a text message, or a written response—students are masters of their own development. This self-reflective practice has led many students to realize how best they learn language along with how and where to improve their future work.
Interested in the courses I teach? Read more on my Courses page.