As an art teacher I feel that it is important to have formative as well as summative assessment methods.

For formative assessment I have students complete sketch book entries as homework. Each sketchbook assignment counts as a small percentage of the final grade. I also believe that it is important to assess not only art making skills but knowledge of art history, vocabulary and understanding of how to read and interpret art. This can be accomplished through weekly quizzes based on lectures and class discussions. I also believe it is effective to grade students on participation. This is also a small portion of the grade but motivates students to engage in class discussions and encourages an environment in which students can share ideas and think critically about the subject.

Studio assignments, semester portfolios and tests are my form of summative assessment. These assessments make up a larger portion of the grade and assess student learning over a longer period of time. Studio assignments are assessed for what students learned from each lesson. Tests are given at the end of each unit to assess long term learning over the whole unit. Semester portfolios represent the learning that took place over the length of the class. Students are able to fix any problems with their studio assignments before turning in the final portfolio. This shows what students have learned from the point of turning the assignment in the first time to the end of the year. These assessments show what the students have learned as well as how effective my teaching methods are. It is important to use the assessments as a reflection of my performance to ensure that students are getting the most out of their experience in my art class.