Inspiring Future Creators

Assessment isn’t a single event or a single tool. It’s the entire ecosystem that surrounds teaching and learning. And when we look beyond classroom-based assessments, we discover a whole landscape of ideas that shape how students grow and how teachers teach. Here are a few assessment viewpoints that continue to influence my thinking as both a teacher and a doctoral student. Standardized Testing: Necessary, but Not the Whole Story Standardized tests sit at the far end of the a

As teachers, we gather incredible amounts of information—exit tickets, observations, checklists, writing samples, reading notes, project reflections, and informal check-ins. But sometimes it isn’t until I visualize  the data that the learning patterns become clear. Figures (like bar graphs, tables, and charts) turn scattered information into something we can see, interpret, and act on. They help me answer questions like: Who’s ready for enrichment? Who needs reteaching? Where

Every year, I keep a portfolio for each student—a growing, evolving collection of their work across writing, science, social studies, and art. There’s no math in it (our math work lives in a separate, ongoing notebook), but the portfolio captures something deeper: the story of each child’s growth. If I had to choose one practice that helps me see students as whole, developing humans, it would be the portfolio. Portfolios aren’t new, but when they’re used intentionally, they b