As the next assessment conundrum rumbles on, it is amazingly easy to get caught up in all the possibilities of what it could look like and what it could mean for different qualifications. What about our learners? Will it be fair? What about us? What is expected of teachers? Will the government and exam boards give us the support they are promising?

Even though I have all these questions flying around in my brain and I am naturally a pessimist, a small part of me feels that this could be a good personal development opportunity for teachers. So instead of speculating about what the assessments may or may not resemble, I have decided I am going to worry about what I can control, which is being optimistic. Here is how I am preparing myself for the assessment bomb. 

GCSEs 2021: How to stay optimistic

Firstly, I am going to embrace the fact that the government is trying to avoid the algorithm debacle that occurred last year. Even though the consultation process is rather arduous, I am pleased that professionals can have their say, which is more than what we were given last year. And even if the assessment does not turn out how I imagined, hopefully by offering an alternative, this will give our learners the best chance to demonstrate what they know, rather than what they have missed out on. It seems there will also be more time for teaching them, which is a bonus when you are teaching GCSE English resits. 

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Reflect on your achievements

Secondly, without sounding too self-indulgent, I am going to reflect on all the obstacles I have had to overcome in the past year. You should do the same. You will soon realise how amazing and resilient you are and how you will get through this, just like you did when you had to: teaching remotely for the first time, learning how to unmute yourself in staff meetings, calculating grades...

Support

The assessment period will undoubtedly be a stressful time for all of us, including the course leaders and curriculum managers among us. However, as much as I do not want to add to their stress, if I have a question or am unsure about something to do with the assessment, I am going to approach my line manager straight away. I know that she would rather me bother her if it means I am less likely to make a mistake whilst marking.

When we are busy, it is so easy to get lost in our work, which is why I think it is important that we check in with colleagues regularly to see how they are doing, even if you send them a quick email to say hello and ask them how they are. To be honest, this is something our team has been doing throughout the pandemic and it has prevented us from feeling isolated whilst teaching remotely.

Development opportunity

While there is no denying that examining for a board can be extremely time-consuming and stressful, for me, the benefits far outweighed the negatives. I know some teachers are reluctant to become examiners, but the experience furthered my understanding and, in turn, revolutionised both my teaching and assessment. This could be an opportunity for teachers who have thought about becoming examiners to develop the confidence to do so. After all, these assessments will surely be different in comparison to marking classwork and mocks. The exam boards could recruit a whole new cohort of future examiners without even realising. 

I am looking forward to what the assessment for my subject could look like, and even if it is not what I expected or wanted it to be, the prospect of marking something slightly different from what I am used to will be interesting. Having taught the specification for several years and worked as an examiner, I am looking forward to a bit of variety. 

With assessment on the horizon, I am going to try and embrace this opportunity and challenge myself, but also try to be a source of support for my colleagues. I hope our learners are given the best opportunity to showcase their ability. I hope their parents/guardians believe in us, and I hope the government and exam boards support us through this unprecedented time of assessment… but only time will tell.

Kate Watts is an FE lecturer at a college in London