Many people, when they hear that children of the elementary school practice their self-assessment, already imagine that the opinion of the little ones is usually very generous in their own favor. This is a mistake.
“We have a tendency to think that the child is always going to give a note up there, to say that it was the best, but that is not what happens, they are more critical of themselves than we, the educators,” compares Graziela Mi, Director of Lumiar de Santo Antônio do Pinhal.
“Often, when the child tells us that he did not do well, we make a statement saying that he did well, but the student always counters:’It’s because you do not remember. There was a point there that I could not do, ‘” exemplifies the director.
This behavior, explains Graziela, is consistent with the educational reality in which children are inserted. Knowing that the comments they will make do not signal a final grade in the report card and the danger of “going to summer school” or “repeating a grade,” students develop a very quiet relationship with the assessment process.
“They know very clearly that the feedback is for them to grow, to know what they have not been able to do to succeed. That is not to say they are not smart or they have failed,” says the director.
Self-assessment: how does it work
In Lumiar, self-assessment is one of the components of integrated assessment. In addition, evidence of development is recorded by educators using different procedures and languages. It could be a written questionnaire, a discussion, a group talk, a sketch of an architectural plan or a dramatization, all applied according to the context of the project.
With this, we develop a rich individual portfolio, guaranteeing intentionality and offering constant feedback. All student development history is recorded on our Digital Mosaic platform.
As a pedagogical tool, the practice of self-assessment is recurrent. At each meeting the child is invited to make a logbook, which tells what the purpose of the activity was and how it was performing: developing that ability was difficult or easy, what he learned, how he was engaged in activity, etc.
As the awareness and autonomy to carry out the self-evaluation are developed gradually, the tutor mediation in these moments is essential.
Tutors bring some provocations so that the child learns to observe himself and the group. He may not have learned much because he was sleepy. Or learned because the master was very cool, because the journey was exciting. Or he may have found it difficult because he did not like the theme.
In addition to everyday practice, there is a self-assessment at the end of each project. The meeting unites tutor, teacher and student and is an unique experience of speaking and listening. In this meeting all the mobilized skills and concepts studied are reviewed, as well as their collaboration for the conclusion of the final product. The student is also expected to reflect on his participation and posture in relation to the group meetings, in addition to his organization during the stages previewed in the modalities – with respect to meeting deadlines, performing tasks, etc.
“If we want to form citizens who are protagonists, who are aware of who they are and what they want, and who can act in the world in an authorial, responsible and effective way, self-assessment is fundamental,” concludes Graziela. “When you can understand who you are, what you want, where you are going and what your difficulties are, you can walk.”