How do teachers track progress?
Montessori teachers are masters of observation. They think like scientists and spend lots of time sitting back and quietly watching the children at work. When they’re not giving lessons, they’re observing. Montessori teachers keep detailed notes and records on each child – what they have done, what they are working on, where they may need to review or revisit a lesson, and where they’re ready for a new challenge. This is much more detailed than the standard gradebook of numbers and letters kept by teachers at traditional schools! During team meetings and faculty work days, teachers review their notes and have lengthy discussions about each child to help decide what lessons to revisit, what new materials to present, or even what parts of the classroom environment need attention or change.
Through the Montessori approach, assessment is done one-on-one between the child and the teacher. Each child is able to learn and progress at their own pace, continually being challenged and feeling engaged in their learning. The best part? Because of the beauty of the materials and the tone of the classroom, the child perceives this as a personal challenge and even a game rather than an exam to be dreaded!
How is Mastery evaluated?
In traditional schools, mastery is often evaluated by a standardized test score and a letter grade, even with students as young as kindergarten. In Montessori schools, mastery of a particular lesson or concept is evaluated during the lesson and while the student is working. This is done through a tool developed by Dr. Maria Montessori called the three-period lesson:
· In the first period, the teacher will introduce a skill to the child. For example, they may say, “These are the parts of a flower.” They will use images, puzzles, or other representative materials in order to show the child.
· In the second period, the teacher will present the child with some information and let the child show the rest. For example, they may ask, “What part of the flower is used for pollination?” and then they will allow the child to show them.
· In the third period, the teacher will determine if the child can independently express the information they have gathered during previous lessons. For example, they may say, “Now it is your turn to label the parts of the flower and explain what each part does. What is this part?”
Once the child is able to complete the third period successfully, the teacher can determine that they have mastered that lesson. There is no need to give them a letter grade or a formal test; the child has demonstrated that they understand the lesson and the concept.
Summative assessment vs. Formative assessment?
Traditional schooling relies heavily on summative assessment, which is based on a summary of knowledge. Summative assessments often come in the form of stress-inducing final exams at the end of a unit of study or a cumulative standardized test at the end of the year. This data-driven model is formatted for adults to measure different inflexible points based on averages for all students in that grade. It does not account for student differences, nor does it provide students with constructive feedback that they can utilize in their learning process.
Montessori relies on formative assessment. Formative assessments allow the teacher to be more flexible, observe the child’s individual learning needs, and adjust lessons accordingly. With this approach, a teacher can assess not only what a student has learned but how they have learned, what the student can accomplish, and whether it is the right time to move on to a new lesson or spend more time on another. Feedback from formative assessments allows students to shift their thinking and make corrections as they learn a new topic and not after moving on to something entirely different.
In our Montessori and IB Middle School, formative assessments are often combined into a larger summative project with real-world applications. This allows the student to demonstrate what they are learning throughout a unit and how that knowledge and set of skills can be used within a realistic context. For example, students studying Algebra at the beginning of the year are not tasked with memorizing equations to replicate on a final exam. Instead, they may utilize their understanding of algebraic formulas to determine whether it’s more economically advantageous to lease or purchase a specific vehicle, comparing the benefits and disadvantages of each and assessing how the value of that vehicle changes over a period of time.
How do we communicate progress without a number or letter?
A numeric score or a letter grade tells you little to nothing about what your child knows or how well they understand it. Communicating progress, quite frankly, requires more words than that! Families love receiving Happy Calls from their child’s teachers with updates about what their child is doing in the classroom. Formal conferences twice a year provide parents with a thorough update on their child’s academic, social, and emotional progress. Families then receive a progress report at the end of each term with a detailed narrative that goes far beyond the standard, traditional report card.
Ok Montessorian, but do you really know that students are learning without a grade or a test?
Let us ask you this: Were you given an exam when you learned how to walk or talk to make sure you could do it right? No, that’s silly. Are you given pop quizzes at work when you pick up a new skill? Probably not. Does your family assign you a letter grade when you make a new recipe at home? We hope not! But did you learn to walk and talk, gain a new career skill, or find a new way to feed your family? Yes. As human beings, we learn things all the time without those extrinsic factors that may have motivated some of us who went to more traditional schools. Through a detailed assessment process based on observation, we ensure that each child not only progresses through each lesson, they master it, and then are beyond ready for the next stage of their education.