MODULE No.
ALTERNATIVE
ASSESSMENT:
WRITING AN
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Assessment in Learning 2
MODULE No. 3
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT: WRITING AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Introduction
A classroom teacher’s very first task is to know her/his students. Said David Ausubel, “Know where your
students are and start from there.” You may know where your students are but knowing how they get
there is something else to think about especially if the student is not getting where he/she ought to be.
There are barriers to learning that a teacher must uncover. One way of getting to know one’s students
is to let them write an autobiography. However, they need some guide to write an autobiography.
Module No. 3 is all about writing an autobiography. A would-be teacher should be able to write one
himself/herself. So this lesson is for you, too.
Objectives
The guide for writing an autobiography in ATTACHMENT M-3 (1) will enable you to:
1. narrate one milestone accomplishment in your stay in college, one that has given you a
sense of accomplishment as you go through college (or narrate an episode that has
hindered you from giving the best of your performance)
2. Devise a self-monitoring strategy that will help you to stay focused (not be distracted)
while in college.
I. Advance organizer
There are many happenings while you are in the course of your college work that can “make
or unmake” you. Everything that happens in your life, pleasant or harsh, becomes a part of
you. Life will be more pleasant to live if we dwell on the more pleasant memories. We will
be able to help others, if we share good lessons in life in the form of narratives. Feel good
about yourself by telling a memorable story in your college life, an episode that can be put
later on as part of a fuller autobiography. What you will write today will just be a portion of
your college life.
II. Lesson Proper
Read ATTACHMENT M-3 (1) - A Guide to Writing an Autobiography. You might want to
center your discussion about yourself in some of the questions in the guide.
Remember: An autobiography is a personal narrative. It is presumed that the narrative is
written by the student “for the teacher’s eyes only.” Please be circumspect. Don’t lose the
confidence of your students, in case they choose to write something that they do not want
the whole world to know. The interest and welfare of the students should be a paramount
concern of a teacher.
WRITE: THIS IS FOR YOUR EYES ONLY MA’AM (if you don’t want others to know about what
you have written).
@@@
ATTACHMENT M-3 (1)
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY: A GUIDE TO WRITING ONE
The one who knows the person best is the person himself/herself. Writing an autobiographical
sketch as a self-assessment tool, is a good way of introducing oneself and therefore must form part of a
development portfolio of a student in a course. An autobiography evolves. As one goes through life
experiences, entries in his/her autobiography cumulates.
A student enrolled in a Teacher Education program should write at least five (5) biographical
sketches detailing milestone accomplishments within his/her four years stay in college to be added to an
initial biographical sketch written upon his/her admission in the Teacher Education Program. He/She
should write another one in his/her second year, another in his/her third year, and yet another one in
his/her fourth year. A final autobiographical sketch should be written as a graduation requirement
synthesizing all sketches that he/she had written through his/her years in college. This forms part of a
student’s development portfolio.
The questions below might help you to compose your biographical sketch.
Why you chose to become a teacher
Have you had a lifelong dream of becoming a teacher?
What set of circumstances in your life brought you into the teaching field?
Who influenced you most as you were growing up or as you were making decisions about your
life’s work?
Your personal attributes
What attributes do you have that would make you a good teacher?
Are you a warm and nurturing person who is especially encouraging to others?
Do you have a professional demeanor and business-like attitude?
Do you hold high expectations for your own success and for the success of our students?
Have you overcome some personal obstacles that would help you empathize with students who
must do the same thing?
Have you had unique experiences or travels that would enhance your students’ experiences in
your classroom?
Your long-term goals and ambitions
Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten years?
What ambitions do you have as a future educator?
How will your goals and ambitions make you a better teacher?
TASK M-3. Write an autobiography following the guide given above.
@@@
Fraj-05-12-23
