A Tail of Assessment

This is Gus (Kunsman's Full of Gusto). He is our six-year-old Labrador Retriever who lives to find and retrieve birds, chow down food, pee on things, and take naps in the sunshine. I am certain if he could structure those in a hierarchy of need for you they would basically fall in that order. Gus came to us as an energetic, curious, and ambitious young puppy with a lot of potential. He has grown to be my number one hunting partner and an integral part of our expanding Kunsman family.

The other night I was throwing retrieving dummies for Gus in the rain, and he was in a groove and not wanting to stop. As rain droplets dripped off the brim of my hat I began reflecting on the evolution of our training process, how I assessed his skills along the way, and although we are still learning everyday, how lucky I am to have a companion like him in the end. Of course I was also looking for a way to tie all of this into how we assess our students in the classroom.

I am fortunate to have acquired the skills and have the time that allowed me to train Gus from a puppy. In that time he has become better at finding and retrieving birds than I am at shooting them. Okay, a lot better. In introducing new skills to Gus I was able to quickly measure what he knew, create a plan for getting to where we needed to be, and begin our training regimen. These training sessions were kept to 15 minute intervals that included timely and effective feedback. I was able to formatively assess where Gus was at with his training, make adjustments and reteach as necessary, and save the summative assessment (hunting field or competition) until I was sure he was at a point of mastery. Were there pitfalls? Sure. Times I wanted to give up and became frustrated? Absolutely. What kept me sane and focused along the way? My clarity came in collaborating with others who were going through the same thing and keeping focused on our vision and the standard of excellence and level of mastery that I knew was achievable. Throughout the process I also needed to make sure Gus remained motivated.


From the beginning Gus has been motivated by what he was born to do: accomplishing a task and serving a purpose in our "pack". Sure, he has received grades, scores, and awards for various things and also the occasional treat from my wife. We have even entered him in a few competitions that have doled out scores and awards on his ability to find and/or retrieve birds. However, although the trophies and ribbons look pretty cool hanging over his bed, they are never what motivated him. His satisfaction has always come from the mastery, autonomy, and purpose (Daniel Pink) he accomplishes when bringing something back to me in his mouth or accomplishing a worthwhile task.



Gus and I are not alone on this dog/owner journey. Over the years I have also had the opportunity and pleasure to train dogs for other people on a few occasions. During that time it never once occurred to me when they called to ask how their four-legged friend was doing to say that their dog is getting an "A", "B", or any other letter grade that would have been arbitrary to them. Instead, what they first were looking for was knowing that their dog was safe and cared for. The next thing they wanted was specific feedback on how he or she was doing in relation to the skills we were working on and the reason they brought their dog to me. Having a safe and caring environment and giving timely and effective feedback based on what they are supposed to be learning? I feel like I have heard this somewhere before...

Our students enter our classrooms much like Gus entered our lives six years ago: energetic, curious, and full of ambition. They have a ton of potential that is just waiting to be molded and guided. As educators we have the important responsibility of pre-assessing all of those qualities they come to us with and then providing a vision and plan for differentiated instruction. We know that our instruction must align with the standards set before us along with keeping in mind the goals that our students and their parents have for their bright, young futures. Our gauge and measure of our students' journey is through our effective use of quality formative and summative assessments and giving quality, effective feedback in a timely manner. There will be struggles and challenges along the way; this is where it is important to collaborate with others and stay focused on our vision. When we follow this plan, along with sound pedagogy, we should be able to feel confident that our students are leaving our classrooms and schools prepared for their next endeavor.

As I wrap up and Gus slowly stretches and moves from his place in the sun, I want to highlight that I am not trying to say that assessing the training of a dog is as complex and important as assessing the education of our students; however, I am drawing from illustrations and connections I have made in my own personal and professional life. We owe it to our students with tails, and those without, to turn their natural ability into a mastery of skills that will equip them for a lifetime of purpose.