Based on the Work Sampling System, this highly practical book provides directions and worksheets so that teachers can effectively use observational assessments to gauge students' learning in a variety of grades and subjects.

Thinking Like a Teacher will help prospective teachers connect child development, instruction, and curriculum to teaching, learning, and assessment. It will help prospective teachers develop their ability to make reasoned and responsible decisions, gain a sense of what to look for while observing students, what to document about children's learning, and how to assess the impact of one's personal performance and achievement. The text contains more than 40 hands-on assignments that form a basis for continuing professional exploration and that help new teachers meet national standards regarding the use of performance assessment.