Softening the Edges: Assessment Practices That Honor K-12 Teachers and Learners (Using Responsible Assessment Methods in Ways That Support Student Engagement)

I've read multiple books on assessment over the last couple years and "Softening the Edges" brought a lot of the ideas from those books together to create a tool that could be shared with all teachers and administrators. Where Katie's book differs to other books on assessment is her passion her students as people not just as students becomes obvious to the reader. The chapter designated on the whole child was new for me and created a different thought process on assessment in general. There is a sentence in the book, "The work we do as educators is human work" and that resonated with me as an administrator. I used to think of assessment as a way to collect data for teachers, administrators, school districts, the state, etc. Now, I want to think of assessment as beneficial to the child as well. That's a piece from this book that really caught my attention. Her idea of assessment and the whole child is powerful and should be considered more than it currently is.

Katie White's book may be a paradigm shift for some educators when considering their classroom assessment practices, but White not only provides a rationale for her philosophy, she also includes practical reproducibles at the end of the chapters summarizing key points. It is a great selection to use with school staff for professional development with reflection questions gently leading teachers to consider their common assessment practices. Throughout the book, readers will appreciate White's examples from her obvious ample classroom experience as well as an instructional leader within the public school setting.

This book was clearly written by an assessment expert. I love the variety of assessments discussed as well as dissecting the real reason why we should be assessing our students. I am a teacher and would highly recommend other teachers regardless of grade level or subject area purchase this if they want to improve their pedagogy.

Love it

This is a powerful and essential book for educators to read regardless of the levels and places in they might be in their careers. Katie White takes us on an incredibly detailed and tangible ride through one of the most important aspects of our educational systems: the whole child in front of us. In a world and system (ie. education system) that can easily get caught up in itself and the latest “magic pill”, it’s imperative that we know what we’re doing to help the students, why we’re doing it, while also understanding how we might be able to honour each child for the strengths and individualities they bring. Using assessment and teaching & learning pedagogy as a lens to highlight these points, Softening the Edges will help you and others become the most effective educator you can be and that our students deserve.

This book had so many welcoming pieces for me - besides hearing from another great Canadian author!, the focus on the hard and the soft edges in our work with assessment and the practical offerings on how to move towards softening the hard edges, every chapter ends with three reflective areas: 1. the focus on assessment architecture - the plan for how evidence of learning will be gathered over time 2. student response - questions to consider from the student perspective and 3. personal response - questions about our personal practice. Katie reminds us that we are all learners and that to really honour the true meaning of the word 'assess' - to sit beside - we need to compassionately consider the whole person.

The title says it all. The packaging was good, but not too much. The book is very clean. As a student-teacher this should be an excellent resource!

Katie White does an excellent job of demonstrating and explaining how assessment can honor the whole person. Using the latest research, White uses thoughtful examples to illustrate the connection between assessment that honours the whole child and teacher in order to create soft-edges that allow for student growth and development without creating barriers that can inhibit student learning and growth. A must for all teachers whether beginning their careers or those who have extensive experience in the classroom.

As an administrator, Softening the Edges has become very useful in supporting the assessment practice of the teachers in my school. This book acknowledges the humanity and vulnerability of teachers and students as it relates to assessment. It speaks to the relationship that surrounds assessment and gives practical strategies and recommendations. This is a great book to use as inspiration for personal, school or district professional development.