A metaphor for assessment: climbing a mountain

When asked what is my metaphor for assessment, I reflected on my experiences climbing mountains during the summer. I realized that climbing a mountain represents both formative and summative assessment. The journey up the mountain represents formative assessment. The hiker represents the teacher, with a backpack full of tools and supplies in preparation for the journey – just as a teacher plans and prepares with lesson plans and resources in anticipation for their students’ learning benefit. However, along the journey, the hiker may come across unforeseen obstacles, like a fallen tree or a stream, and they may have to redirect their path. This represents the daily formative assessments that take place in the classroom, teachers may need to redirect or differentiate instruction as they connect with their students to meet each individual student’s learning needs. The peak of the mountain represents summative assessment, which is the final destination of the learning journey and represents the intended learning outcomes. Often the hiker uses the peak of the mountain as a time for reflection on the journey they have just accomplished, just as the summative assessment reflection on the learning journey. 

I chose this metaphor because I really enjoy hiking and spending time in the mountains. It’s a very useful way for me to reflect and find a different perspective on things, which I believe is an important part of assessment. As teachers, we will continuously gather information and will need to respond to this information as we decide the best way to proceed in a way that will benefit our students’ learning. This reminded me of my experiences hiking, practicing reflection and assessing the best way to proceed. As I learn more about assessment, this metaphor may adapt and grow, just as my learning is 🙂