Student Assessment

In my ideal classroom, I would never have to give someone a grade. In art making, so much more value comes from communication and exploration of the success of the artwork. Self-reflection and peer-reflection are two of the best methods for improving upon work. I spend a lot of time hovering around tables, observing the students working. I use this time to talk individually with students about their successes and struggles with the project. The majority of my assessment of student progress and content knowledge comes from these short dialogues. When I get asked questions like “Do you think this looks right?” I usually respond, “What do you think?” The students know that I will tell them how I feel, but they won’t get a response unless they provide me with some insight and self-reflection. Most of the time the students have the same opinions and conclusions as I do. Having the students talk first gives them the opportunity to show me their content knowledge and contextual solutions. I think this encourages students by showing them that they are thinking about the right problems and crafting realistic solutions.

Classroom critiques are also an important layer of assessment. To students, the opinions of their peers matter a lot. These critiques are very truthful and telling about the progress within an artwork. Fostering a positive, constructive critique allows for students to reflect on the qualities of their work and the work of their peers.

As much as I’d like to not give grades, realistically I will have to give grades to all of my students. There are sometimes students who need a tangible grade to understand their progress in the class. Though I don’t believe there is much value in a grade, to others it can be more important to them than the work of art itself. When assessing students, I like to give them a self-evaluation where they can explain their successes and struggles. Students are more critical of themselves usually, and it’s nice to read the thoughts of the students because they don’t always reflect upon what we’ve already discussed. Occasionally the things students write on their evaluation questions give me a much better insight to understanding why a student may have struggled. It’s also a way for students to defend their decisions if they don’t necessarily follow the requirements, sort of a last chance to express their intentions.