Formative Assessment (Campaign Style)

One of my greatest passions about education and working in the field of education is assessment and evaluation.  How do you know that you are doing a good job?  Who is judging?  What can be learned from formative feedback?  And ultimately, how do you move forward to ensure success?

For the past year, I have been designing and facilitating Assessment for Learning (AFL) professional development workshops for teachers.  To date, I have delivered 10 workshops involving AFL and how teachers can learn about student learning and their professional practice.  Formative feedback is a critical component of AFL.  It’s feedback to help the student understand how they are progressing, determine what they know, and decide what they have to work on.  Formative assessment is not worth “marks” but it has HUGE value at the end point, or summative assessment, that is the test, project, or exam to demonstrate their understanding for judgment known as the mark or grade.

Running for school trustee in the District of Sechelt is a new learning experience for me in the realm of public education.  I have 16 years of teaching experience with School District No.46 (Sunshine Coast) as a secondary mathematics, science, and chemistry teacher.  I have participated in many committees related to professional development, mathematics curriculum implementation, and the local teachers’ association.  I have assumed several teacher leadership positions at Chatelech Secondary as the math department head, staff rep, and professional development representative. 

Currently, I volunteer my time at my daughter’s school as a “bike club mom,” tutor adult basic education students at Capilano University (Sunshine Coast Campus), and involved in the BC Association of Mathematics Teachers (BCAMT) executive committee as a secondary representative.  I continue to work on my dissertation in education leadership, I have presented at the Seminar Series and Education Without Borders with Education Graduate Students’ Association, and I am employed as a site assistant with the Master of Education educational leadership K-12 cohort at SFU. 

I am passionate about education and have a wealth of knowledge that continues to grow and evolve.  Campaigning and meeting people in my community to talk about education has been enlightening to say the least.  Along with some campaign signs posted around the District of Sechelt and YH Flyers distributed on some cars and homes in the community, I have met many wonderful people who ask good questions and share stories about their experiences with public education in SD46.  It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I have learned so much from members of the community.

I love the question: “How is the campaign going?”  I get this question a lot.  I am sure that every candidate in the municipal election is faced with this question.  It’s an opportunity to self-reflect and self-assess how things are going.  Strangely, much of the formative feedback I receive are positive.  I am grateful for the kind words, advice, help, and support people have given me during the campaign.  With that said, I truly don’t know how “things” are going.  I can critique about the number of signs I have posted, the number of flyers distributed, or the number of events I have attended, etc… but, in the end, I am going to find out how the campaign is going is on November 19th.