More than anything else, I long for my students to be successful. Successful in life, successful in school, and successful in whatever inspires them. However, as we all know, not all students learn the same way, and their success cannot be quantified in the same manner. There are many students who perform well on tests and get high grades with little to no effort. Their success cannot not be judged in the same way as a child who is frozen in fear when a test is placed in front of them. All students do not learn the same way, and therefore, we cannot expect students to explain what they have learned in the same way (through a paper-and-pencil test). Assessment, to me, means finding out what a student knows about something. I have encountered many people in my life who I consider highly intelligent and an asset to their field. I know, for a fact, that these men and women have struggled to quantify what they know on a test, and it has almost kept them out of their chosen profession. Children must be given opportunities to share what they know and what they have learned in ways other than through tests. There are so many ways to incorporate alternative assessments into the classroom. Students could be asked to create projects or give presentations. Students could also create journals or interactive notebooks that could be used as reflective tools as well as a form of alternative assessment. During this highly technological era, students could create webquests, blog, and videos to express what they have learned. All of these activities could be graded with rubrics, checklists, and other forms of evaluation. This would allow us to tap into an untouched market. There are students who want to be successful and have a wealth of knowledge, but they simply cannot express it within the confines of our current system. It is up to us, as educators, to provide our students with opportunities to succeed. This project has taught me a great deal. It has given me more insight into my hopes and expectations for my future classroom. My students' happiness and success is my number one priority. That means I have to find ways to help my students be successful. While I have always done very well on paper-and-pencil tests, they were not always the most influential to my learning. I remember creating a diorama in the third grade. We had been reading Laura Ingalls Wilder's On The Banks of Plum Creek, and I distinctly recall how excited I was that our project was to recreate their home. I spent hours pouring over that book to ensure that I got every little detail right. I was so proud of my diorama when I brought it into school. As I got older, writing became an outlet for me. In eighth grade, we kept a reflective journal of sorts. We created an "ABC" book of the important aspects of our lives. We had to write two pages for each letter. At the end of the year, our teacher graded them according to a rubric and had them laminated. I still have mine to this day. This project was so much more than a writing assignment. It was as unique as each of us was. I do not remember the specific content of our weekly tests or how well I did. However, these projects have stayed with me twenty years later, and I will never forget what they taught me. I want to create experiences like that for my students. I want them to look back on what they have learned with excitement and pride. In my future classroom, each student will keep a portfolio. We will have frequent projects and presentations in lieu of non-district mandated tests. Paper-and-pencil tests are unavoidable, but I will ensure that my students are armed with strategies that will help them to be successful. My passion for my students' success is immeasurable, and coupled with their hard work and dedication, nothing will stand in their way.