How Did We Do?

There are many ways that we can assess student learning.  We want to make sure our students are learning and we are not just wasting their time and our time.  Tests are not the only way we can measure academic levels.  They are not the only way to see what strengths we can build upon and what the needs of the students are.
We can use many types of assessments to measure the needs of our students.  Tests do not take into consideration the diverse needs or the learning styles  of our students.  We know that our students come from a different walk of life from each other and some of the measuring sticks that we use do not take that into account.  There are many types of assessments to show progress of each of our students.  I believe one way is through  portfolios.  This would be a way to show progress over a period of time, the student could make a decision on what would be best to put in the portfolio.  This way when they show growth and they are proud of what they have accomplished their work goes into the portfolio.  If they need help they will get it before they complete the task for their portfolio. 
Another way our students can be assessed is to arrange the them in groups.  This is a great way to make observation of work ethics.  Students can work together on culminating projects.  Working together builds collaboration skills and the students learn from each other.  This group work allows the teacher to make observations and give feedback on group dynamics.
As with most schools in the beginning of the school year we give assessments to get a baseline of our students strengths and needs to guide our instruction.  At this time it would be a great idea to meet with previous teachers. Previous teachers of our students are a great resource for us.  They know them and want them to succeed as well.  They can enlighten us more than an assessment could tell us about our students.
When we test our students we are testing our pedagogy.  How did we prepare our students, did we given them the best chance to showcase their abilities.
As teachers we must take into considerations all learning styles, we must differentiate our instruction for those that need it, we must understand cultural differences, and most of all know we need to be aware of what drives our students.
Tests are not the only objective assessment when we think about tools that identify our students levels, not every student is the same.