Sometimes the Raising of Hands is Assessment Enough

I begin every lesson with a reflection on the previous week's lesson. It helps show the thread that connects one lesson to another, while also activating prior knowledge for the students. 

Last week, the reflection was on the visits from the the public librarians. You can read about the visits on this blog post: Sometimes a Change is All You Need.

As I had stated, my goal for these visits were:

1. Creating a connection to a person in the children's room at the public library;

2. Learning about the programs at the public library;

3. learning how to get a library card.

This week, as part of the reflection, I asked the students to give me a show of hands for each question.  In a not very scientific way, I can tell you that:

1. A majority of students in each class had gone to the library after the visits;

2. Many of those had sought out the person who visited their class;

3. A few signed up for a program;

4. About a third had gotten a library card.

This show of hands (combined with the proud look on their faces) was assessment enough for me. These visits were a success! I'll be bringing the public librarians back again next fall.