What is or was one of your biggest concerns about becoming a new teacher? For many, it would be about making that transition from spending years and years in the role of a student into the role of a teacher at the front of the classroom. Going from managing one’s on learning to managing the learning of hundreds of students can be a challenge. D the two weeks I spent at my practicum school in the short practicum, I observed many different classrooms. Each class had a different dynamic, and thus, the teachers had to use different strategies in order to manage the students. Something that almost all the teachers advised me to implement in my own teaching was to keep the students busy; their rationalization was that students are generally less likely to behave badly in class if they are kept busy. I observed this in several classes, but there were also instances in which students would not focus on their work. Therefore, I began thinking about what strategies teachers can use to help motivate all students to take accountability for their own work.

http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/knilt/images/2/2f/Science_classroom.jpg

After learning about social and emotional learning, and reading about some of the different methods of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation that can be used in classrooms, I became interested in researching further into what other methods can be used to help students develop their own educational goals, and subsequently achieve higher standards of academic success. My preliminary research led me towards several articles and websites that highlighted the success of teaching students self-assessment skills, and the importance of being accountable for their own work. Therefore, I would like to investigate the following inquiry question:

Are the use of self-assessment strategies and tools in the classroom effective in encouraging students to set their own goals and work towards accomplishing those goals, and achieving academic success?

The rest of this blog will include research that has been gathered on the issue of using self-assessment tools in the classroom to enhance active student engagement in their individual learning process. In addition to providing relevant research in regards to this inquiry question, this blog can also be used as a resource for new teachers who are looking for different self-assessment tools and strategies to use with their students.