I didn’t have to think long about identifying my strength and weakness in assessment because it is something I am aware of and currently trying to work on.  My strength is in the variety of assessment strategies, which often combine drawing and writing.  My weakness is my lack of consistency in administering summative assessments.  I’m bad about that. 

First, briefly about the positive:  Part of my job as an art teacher is to teach students how to use visual art as a form of communication.  If they are trying to show ‘happy’ in a self portrait, I do not want to see the letters h-a-p-p-y written across their art. That isn’t challenging.  I want them to show me ‘happy’ visually. This is important to me.  It seems natural and authentic, then, that an assessment in visual art should allow for...Yes, visual art as communication.   It also adds a little fun to assessment.

Now the negative:  I’m just terrible about consistency in assessment, particularly summative assessments.  On day one I always have our Guiding Questions written on the board, discussed and well established, the assessment is all typed up and was an integral part of the planning process….. BUT, the assessment is the first to go when the time crunch hits.  Day five rolls around and the kids are focused and involved in their work, but nowhere near being finished. That formative assessment that looks so quick and easy TO ME just always seems to take them so long to complete.  I start thinking about Suzie Q who is finally involved in her art making, finally blossoming with her work and ‘getting it’ and I have to make a decision: formative, written assessment that was a part of my plans, or allow her to complete her art project that she has been working on for four days?  For me, it is a problem with my planning and my priorities.  Time is a parameter, not an excuse.  I need to find a way to work around it!