Successful educators consistently use student data to inform their instructional decision-making. Identifying gaps in student learning allows the educator to reteach a concept to the whole class or focus their work with a small group of struggling students.

Allocate at least 3 hours in the field to inform the field experience.

Observe two lessons in your mentor teacher or another experienced teacheràclassroom and record any authentic assessments that were implemented. Take special note of how the students engage in these assessments, how the teacher interacts with students, and how the assessments are differentiated for students.

Following one of the observed lessons, share your Topic 2 Differentiated Lesson Plan with your mentor teacher. Gather feedback to be applied in the Topic 5 benchmark assignment regarding how well the activities aligned with the objectives and standards, whether the assessments included any bias, and how to integrate cross-curricular concepts into the lesson plan.

Use the remaining field experience hours providing instruction and support to the class.

In a 250-500 word reflection describing the authentic assessment strategies you observed, include the following:

The grade level, content area, and objectives of the lessons you observed.

The authentic assessment strategies the teacher used and how the assessments were implemented (examples: journal writing, Think Pair Share, questioning). Was there a rubric used to grade the authentic assessment?

1. Based on your opinion, explain whether you felt the authentic assessments used worked well with the lesson, and if you would use a similar approach in your own classroom instruction. Provide two reasons why you would or would not use a similar approach to the authentic assessment you observed.
2. If no authentic assessments were observed, please explain what form of assessment was used and answer questions 2-3 based on the observed assessment. Additionally, suggest at least one alternative authentic assessment that could have been used in this lesson.
3. How you will apply what you observed regarding authentic assessment to your future professional practice.