Running Head: SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL IMPACT OF TESTING

Week Four Assignment

The Social-Emotional Impact of Testing

Nermin H. Fialkowski

National University

AAL- 652 Creating Clear Learning Targets

Professor Mark LaCelle-Peterson

January 28th, 2019

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Personal Experience

Throughout my elementary school years, I was an average student (maybe me even

slightly above average). Although I worked hard and I was a teacher pleaser, I was not an

outstanding student. I struggled with reading at grade level and in math. And because my mom

worked at my elementary school, it was easy for her to advocate for me to get additional support.

After receiving additional help and support from my teachers for my last two years, I was ready

to promote to 7th grade middle school.

At the start of 7th grade I was placed in regular classes (remember, I wasn’t outstanding).

As I went throughout the semester I then became an above average student, I was now reading at

grade level and even fully understood math! Although my classes no longer continued to

challenge me, I was still a hard worker and teacher pleaser. Slowly I became jealous of my

friends in honors classes. I had just a right to be in those classes as they did! At the time, it

didn’t seem fair, I was preforming academically better than my friends in the honors classes.

The unfairness of the situation and my jealously then turned to upset. I used this upset and took

action. At the end of the semester I spoke to my counselor about switching to honors classes. I

felt confident in my abilities and had the grades to support my claim.

From then on, I have been in advanced classes and have had plenty of academic success.

I know this change wouldn’t have been possible if I didn’t speak up for myself. It would have

been very easy for me to stay in regular classes since it was what my teachers had recommended

for me. I could have listen to their label and stayed in that box. It makes me sad to think about

all the students out there that do not push themselves to strive better, because someone doesn’t

believe that they are capable, or have the potential. Even after all these years, I still feel robbed
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of the first few months of 7th grade. I felt robbed of my potential and ability, all because I was

not outstanding in elementary school.

This experience has shaped who I am as an educator. I am supportive and encouraging of

all my students. I try to create a culture of confidence within my classroom. I am aware that

success looks different for every student and I try to convey this message to my students; I want

my students to find success on their own terms and know that they all have the ability to reach

them. Now, as a high school math teacher I am placed in the same position as my elementary

school teachers, doing course recommendations. When doing my course recommendations, I do

not solely look at assessment scores or standardized tests; I look at the student as a whole. I

recommend students for more advanced classes based on their grit, willingness to work,

dedication, and potential. My goal is to provide students with as many opportunities for success

as possible so that they can demonstrate their abilities. My students need to know that I care and

believe in, because sometimes, they have no one else.

Students’ Emotional Reactions Determine Their Responses

Assessment is one of the most powerful tools an educator can use in the classroom.

When used appropriately and effectively, assessment is used to guide an educators’ instruction.

Assessment not only guides an educators’ instruction, it also guides student learning.

Additionally, an assessment would hold no value if feedback is not provided to students.

Through this feedback, students will have tangible evidence whether or not they have met the

learning targets for the lesson. Yet, what students do with this feedback is what really

determines their learning. The purpose of the feedback is for students to react productively to

the assessment results. These reactions (understanding the results, knowing what to do next, and
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choosing to keep trying) then support students in their learning, so that the learning targets can

eventually be met (Striggins, 2014).

Even if feedback is specific and descriptive, and the assessment is purposeful and

relevant, data results are meaningless if students begin with a negative attitude towards the

assessment. All learning stops as soon as a student determines that they are too “slow” or

“stupid” to learn something. These student beliefs usually arise when students do not know how

to interpret feedback or know what the next steps needed to reach the learning targets are- which

ultimately leads to students giving up. The achievement gap of student success cannot be

reduced if students keep giving up on themselves (Striggins, 2014). To avoid this situation, one

must create a culture of confidence. Creating a culture of confidence can be done with the

practice of assessment for learning.

Assessment for learning provides students with guidance and stepping stones for reaching

learning targets. Assessment for learning includes three steps: “Where am I going?” “Where am

I now?” and “How can I close the gap?” This specific guidance is a road map for student

success. It is important for educators to link assessment and student motivation together, as a

way for students to strive for academic success. Promoting academic success can be done

through a sense of self-efficacy, confidence, and accomplishment, where assessment can cause

learning, not just measure it. “All students must be given the opportunity to believe that

academic success is within reach for them if they strive for it” (National Task Force on

Assessment Education).

How to Improve Student Learning While Promoting Good Social-Emotional Health

In addition to creating a culture of confidence, I will also be teaching my students the

power of a growth mindset. The idea of a growth mindset is the understanding that abilities can
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be developed, making success tangible and accessible for all- the opposite of learner

hopelessness. It demonstrates how well students are able to cope with challenges and

difficulties. Through hard work and effort, students are able to build their abilities and skills and

overcome learning obstacles. Rewards of a growth mindset focus on effort, strategy, and

progress. Through this system, students become more engaged over longer periods of time, and

builds perseverance (TedxTalks, 2014).

The four keys to a growth mindset are: effort, challenges, mistakes, and feedback (Ragan,

2016). These four keys are main concepts of my classroom and teaching. I want to make sure

that all my students give their best effort and work hard in my class, not just to complete the task

at hand, but to understand that they can apply their effort and hard work to any situation. In the

end, it is people’s mindsets that play a crucial role as to why some people succeed and others do

not, even when they are equally as intelligent (Ragan, 2016); it is the process of hard work,

effort, and perseverance.

Resources

Ragan, T. (2016, November 6). Growth Mindset Introduction: What it is, How it Works, and

Why it Matters. [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/75GFzikmRY0

TedxTalks. (2014, September 12). The Power of Yet, Carol S Dweck, TEDxNorrköping. [Video

file]. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/J-swZaKN2Ic

Stiggins, R. (2014, March 4). A New Vision of Excellence in Assessment. [Video file].

Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/XHX2jnKNiyw