Assess what you actually taught

Assess the learning you promised

Assessment is a way to find out what a learner can explain or do and what support they need next. Begin with the outcome you taught. If the lesson concerned a clear session agreement, assess that conversation. If it concerned comparing a symbol copy with a source, assess the comparison. A surprise test of unrelated terminology tells you little about whether your actual lesson worked.

Tell learners the criteria before the attempt. For a practice agreement, you might look for three things: the proposed activity is explained, the recipient has a genuine choice, and a change is checked before it happens. Those criteria are visible in speech and conduct. They do not depend on your interpretation of a person's energy or their willingness to report a special sensation.

Use a small set of observable criteria

For a source-based symbol study, suitable criteria might be finding the correct page, following the source's sequence and comparing the result honestly. You can allow the reference to remain open when the purpose is accurate source use. If later you want to assess recall, explain that different purpose and give learners a chance to practise it first.

A simple record can use three descriptions: shown clearly, developing, and needs another supported attempt. Add one observed example. “Asked before moving from hovering to touch” is stronger evidence than “seems spiritually ready.” “Could find page 30 but needed help identifying the curve to compare” identifies a specific next learning step.

Make another attempt part of the plan

A learner who misses a step should know what to practise and how to try again. Demonstrate the missed part, allow rehearsal and return to the same criterion. If the difficulty concerns unclear instructions, revise your teaching too. Assessment is more useful when it produces a next action for both teacher and learner.

Consider a learner who can explain a stop signal but forgets to mention it in a partner exchange. Your feedback can identify that omission and invite a second opening conversation. You do not need to label the entire learner unsafe or declare the whole course complete on the strength of a written answer. Describe the evidence you actually have.

Keep any course-completion record accurate about its scope. Attendance, written study, a practical observation and teacher-led initiation are different things. If you issue a record in your own teaching context, state what it represents and avoid implying authority you have not established. Finishing this free Teacher course records study here; it does not award teacher certification or a healthcare licence.

Before observing a practice, write the criterion in plain language on your own note. Afterwards, check whether your feedback actually concerns that criterion. This prevents personal preferences about speaking style or ritual presentation from silently becoming new requirements that the learner was never taught.