Important Words to Live By...

I particularly like this quote because of its truthfulness. Anyone involved in a child’s life has an impact:

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression” Hiam Ginott

This quote I actually have hanging outside of my classroom door. I think sometimes it’s easy to forget, but children are undoubtedly our future. We must never forget their importance:

“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future.” John F. Kennedy

This last quote is not necessarily about children, but an important quote that teachers should acknowledge. It is our responsibility as educators to know the influence that we have on our children:

“I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.” Hiam Ginott

Assessment

As a teacher, I do believe that different areas of development should be assessed, just perhaps not to the extent that is done today. I feel that the tests that children take today are a bit too intense, but I am not certain how exactly I would change them. Assessment is necessary because it allows educators to better serve students’ needs. I believe that the major areas of development should be assessed – physical, social/emotional, and cognitive. If each of these areas is tested, educators will have a better idea of how to aid in the success of the students.

I chose to research assessment in Ghana. After many attempts to find information on Ghana’s assessment, I realized that this was no easy task. Because of my difficulties, I am lead to believe that Ghana does not have very many assessments within the country. I did find, however, a very beneficial website that included information on the schooling system. According to Haskell, Ghana performs annual assessments in the areas of literacy, math, and English (2007). I was unable to find out more about these assessments. The results of these tests are as follows:

· 26% of students who complete Primary 6 are considered literate

· 23% of students who complete Primary 6 are proficient in English

· 10% of students who complete Primary 6 are proficient in Math

(Haskell, 2007)

Unfortunately, Haskell explains that many of Ghana’s students drop out of school before Primary 6 (considered to be 6^th grade in the states) (2007).

References:

Haskell, T. (2007). Education in ghana. In EQUALL project: Ghana. Retrieved from
http://www.equall.com/ed/default.asp