I Personally Believe...

I Personally Believe…

Nitko and Brookhart list and discuss many goals for teachers in this chapter of their text. I am referring to the specific topics as goals rather than responsibilities because I believe they are just that. From experience I know there are great educators today who are responsible teachers, but do not accept all of the responsibilities listed in this chapter. I believe it is nearly impossible for a teacher of any level and area to become and remain the “responsible professional” in the eyes of Nitko and Brookhart. In saying that, I am not arguing that a teacher who falsifies students’ test scores is a responsible professional; nor do I believe that teachers should not strive to accomplish the goals or ‘responsibilities’ that the authors discuss, because by all means – they should. I will; however, argue the possibility of a teacher consistently adhering to all of these ideas. I personally believe that Nitko and Brookhart set a tone that may at times criticize realistic practices that teachers are sometimes forced to carry out due to circumstances out of their control.

A particular example when educational circumstances are out of the control of teachers is during state mandated assessments. I personally believe that I have specific responsibilities when scoring assessments. I know it is my obligation to score accurately and fairly. However, I do not believe it should be my professional responsibility to use state mandated rubrics and procedures in scoring mandated tests. I believe it is unfair and inaccurate for state officials to put pressure on teachers and school administrators based on standardized tests scores. As Nitko and Brookhart discuss in earlier pages of the chapter, information is more reliable when there are several assessments used. So, why are such significant decisions made by the state based on the results of one score from each student? Schools that do not perform well may be classified as schools in need, and educators’ jobs may be lost. Because I am a professional, I should have the responsibility of submitting scores to the state that measure the growth of my students.

I craft many of my own assessment procedures that I use in my classroom. The general responsibilities that Nitko and Brookhart explain in regards to crafting assessment procedures in the text are valuable to me. I personally believe that I have a professional responsibility to focus on creating an assessment procedure that is valid and reliable. By accepting responsibility for crafting my assessments, I am committing to improve my teaching strategies as well as shape my methods of classroom and planning management. These responsibilities are goals that I hold for myself as an educator. I believe that crafting an assessment procedure cannot be mastered, but “practice and experience will hone [my] skills.” (Nitko 87). The more specific responsibilities listed may not be straightforward at all times, but they are feasible to accept and accomplish. For example, by ensuring my assessment material does not have errors in the content, is not only my responsibility, but once again it is a goal that I consistently strive toward. As teachers, we check for errors subconsciously without even thinking twice. Errors are mistakes. They are made because we are human. Although I accept the responsibilities of crafting assessment procedures, I still consider them goals that I will work toward everyday as an educator.

Although I do not see eye to eye with the manner in which Nitko and Brookhart approach all of the assessment responsibilities of teachers; I can appreciate that the two authors recognize and clarify responsibilities that teachers should accept when administering assessments. I personally believe this is a very crucial part of the assessment procedure. There are many vital components that a teacher must keep in mind when giving an assessment task. The reason I feel so strongly about this specific set of responsibilities is because readers can clearly understand that there is a process at hand. For example, administering does not simply mean handing out a quiz or test. Teachers need to prepare their students and give them enough information so that they can succeed. Also, teachers must accept the responsibility that not all students can succeed in the same environment; teachers must accommodate students who are in need. If teachers do not accept the responsibilities when administering assessments, they will not be giving students the opportunity to perform to the best of their ability.

As a young middle school math teacher, I make every effort to fulfill each and every one of the responsibilities listed by Nitko and Brookhart. Upon entering my 6th grade teaching position, I was not given a curriculum map, resources, or even district grading policies. I was simply given a key and a map of my school. From that day forward, I became a teacher. A year later, I am learning how to properly craft an assessment procedure because I chose to attend a college that offered a specific course. I believe that Nitko and Brookhart have the audacity to give all teachers a universal code of responsibility in assessment when in fact; all teachers are not universally taught how to assess. As a result, I do not believe that all of the responsibilities that were presented in the text were explained appropriately.