What is formative assessment? In short, it is an ongoing process teachers use during instruction to gather evidence of learning and immediately adapt teaching to meet student needs. Unlike end-of-unit exams, these check-ins are low stakes, feedback-oriented, and designed to shine a light on misunderstandings while there’s still time to fix them—saving both students and…
When I started teaching two decades ago, I checked understanding mostly at the end of a unit—right when it was too late to change much. Now I treat learning like a living, breathing organism: I take its pulse early and often. That ongoing check-in is the heart of formative assessment, and it has saved me…
Formative Assessment, at its core, refers to a range of methods that teachers employ to gather information about their students’ learning. It’s not just about a grade; it’s about understanding. It’s the real-time evaluations, the daily check-ins, the insightful questions, and the observant eyes watching over classroom activities. These assessments provide a constant stream of…