Navigating Policy and Trying out New Ways of Teaching: Teachers and Children Becoming Experts

How can teachers engage in new ways of teaching that demonstrate student achievement beyond required standardized testing? This article by teachers for teachers shares one team's experience engaging in documentation with children via ongoing projects. Teachers shifted how they viewed assessment, used assessment tools and negotiated the curriculum and standards to which they must adhere in their district. Teachers found that, when they provided children with learning experiences that extended over the course of several days and incorporated time for inquiry-based exploration and child-initiated activities, they saw expertise where they had not seen it before. In addition, this article considers the challenges of alternative forms of assessment in a climate of high-stakes testing and curriculum implementation. Teachers as a group are particularly susceptible to the pressures of testing policy. Thinking about navigating policy as a necessary part of teaching might be a way for professionals to frame their work as they adopt new stances towards teaching and learning.