The Assessors and The Assessed

Assessment and rubrics and the ways in which educator's interact with students seems to be increasingly under the microscope. This is understandable as data begins to mount regarding the ways in which we best learn, and how significantly these ways differ from the ways we were (are?) taught. Alfie Kohn's article on "The Trouble with Rubrics" equates rubrics to putting lipstick on the pig that is a one size fits all approach to teaching and student assessment, removing any need for a teacher to reformulate and reassess their craft in an effort to more meaningfully educate their diverse collection of students.

At this point, I have never had the opportunity to grade or evaluate a "student" having never been a teacher of any kind, so I am still learning the myriad approaches to assessment, especially in a music class. One important thing that I've learned is that assessment should be something that occurs daily in an attempt to make plain the expectations you have for your students.

Robert Duke's essay on assessment in his book Intelligent Music Teaching speaks to clear objectives and goals in your teaching that are effectively conveyed to your students through constant assessment and feedback. An effective teacher needs to be actively involved in this process to better dictate the course of curriculum, and, most importantly, creating opportunities for the students to use all of the information and techniques they've learned. If these opportunities are plentiful, theoretically the student isn't completely concerned with what's on the rubric or what's on the test. Put simply, more interest is placed on formative assessment than summative. This may also enable the teacher to make music less of an academic endeavor, and more of a means of authentic artistic expression.

A rubric can absolutely be a useful tool for assessment. When it comes to the finite "nuts and bolts" elements of music that can be easily judged correct or incorrect (rhythms, notes, etc.), a rubric would absolutely be a great practice guide for a student. But a rubric's existence shouldn't be used as a crutch or to undermine a teacher's duty to adjust and augment the class when it's in the students' best interests. When it comes to making great musicians of our students, a one size fits all approach won't do. As the tide washes your mandala away, start building a better one.

Source: Duke, Robert A. Intelligent Music Teaching: Essays on the Core Principles of Effective Instruction. Austin: Learning and Behavior Resources, 2005. Print.