Assessment for Learning Support Practitioner

What's assessment for learning, and how does it tie into the role of a teaching assistant? In this essay, I'm gonna look at the roles of teachers and learning support practitioners when it comes to assessing how well students are doing. I'll also break down the difference between formative and summative assessments. I'll talk about what makes assessment for learning special and why it's so important. Plus, I'll explain how assessment for learning can help with planning future lessons, whether it's done by the teacher, the students, or the teaching assistant.

So, what's the difference between a teacher and a learning support practitioner? Well, the teacher is the main person in the classroom. Students look up to the teacher and follow their lead. The teacher plans the lessons and sets the learning goals. They are seen as the role model. Lessons are designed by the teacher to help students move forward and hit their targets.

Once the targets are met, the lessons keep progressing.

The teacher also sets class assessments to check where the students are in terms of meeting their goals. They constantly check the students' abilities, whether through classwork, homework, or end-of-term assessments. The learning support practitioner helps the teacher in the classroom. They follow the teacher's lead. If the teacher asks them to assess the kids, they might work with small groups or individual students and follow the assessment plan given to them.

The learning support practitioner should also help out in the classroom and then give feedback to the teacher about what they think the students did well or what they struggled with. This helps the teacher plan the next lesson and set new goals for the students. So, what's the difference between formative and summative assessments? Formative assessment happens as the students learn. For example, using open-ended questions to get students to share their ideas. Observing students gives a lot of insight into how they work, and it's usually done daily.

Listening to students shows that they understand the work. We can hear their ideas and methods. We can check their understanding by asking questions, which shows what the students know. Finally, self-evaluation lets students think about what they've learned and encourages them to evaluate their own progress against their targets and learning outcomes. Summative assessment, on the other hand, is the formal assessments used by teachers to show exactly where the students are and what they've learned, like end-of-term SATs or assessments. The results might go on the students' reports and be shared so that their new teachers, the headteacher, and parents can see how the students have progressed.

What makes assessment for learning special? It informs and promotes all students' achievements. Students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. This starts with giving them learning outcomes and making sure they get feedback. This, in turn, helps them develop the skills needed to evaluate and self-assess their work.

They'll be able to recognize their own progress and achievements. This starts with students doing peer assessments, where they assess each other to gain the skills to assess themselves. Why is assessment for learning important, and what are the benefits? There's a proven link that students who are more involved in their own assessment are more motivated to reach their targets. They want to hit the goals set for them and put in more effort to do so. This boosts self-esteem and motivation. It also gives feedback to the right people—the teacher, the teaching assistant, or the learning mentors—on how to best support the students, whether they're more or less able. Assessment for learning helps students understand what they're doing, what they need to do, and how to go about doing it. How can assessment for learning help with planning future lessons?

For the teacher, it helps them plan for each student. It also helps the teacher pass on responsibility to the student for their own learning and makes sure the student is involved with their own learning goals. The student will be more informed about their own targets and goals. It helps them reach their full potential by getting them extra support if needed. Students will be able to self-assess their work, which is a life skill. As adults, we constantly assess ourselves on the things we do. As students gain more awareness, it boosts their confidence and helps them ask for help. The teaching assistant will be better informed, which helps them assist the teacher and students. It helps develop questioning skills and find out where a student needs support. It might help plan for less able students so that certain topics can be done again with added support, which can then be fed back to the teacher.

In conclusion, assessment for learning is the ongoing assessment of students, using various methods. It helps the teaching assistant in many ways, like understanding how best to support students. It gives teaching assistants the knowledge and ability to do their jobs well and support the class teacher with students of varying abilities.

Burnham and Baker. (2010). Support teaching and learning in schools (primary). (pp104-106). Malaysia. Heinmann The department for children, schools and families. (2008). The assessment for learning strategy. Department for education and skills. (2004/05). Working together: teaching assistants and assessment for learning. Black and William. (1998). Inside the black box. Kings College. London.