In partnership with eSchool News, Illuminate Education is spotlighting teachers in a series recognizing educators, the way they have moved instruction online during COVID-19, and how they have prioritized the needs of their students.
Missy Butki
Data and Assessment Specialist
Lake Orion Community Schools
“Don’t be afraid to still assess your students. Whether it be formatively on content, or informally around perceptions and feelings.”
What made you want to become an educator and what makes you so passionate about the work that you do?
I am in my 23rd year of education. It actually wasn’t my first choice, but I worked at a summer camp one summer and had the opportunity to work with fifth graders. It completely changed my mind. Whether I’m teaching children or teaching adults, I just love teaching. It’s that idea of someone coming in not knowing something and then leave knowing something new—I just really love that.
Related content: How a middle school teacher tackles online learning
Can you explain your role and what a typical day looked like for you before the school closures?
I am in charge of all assessment and data in the district, whether it’s local assessments, state assessments, or benchmark assessments. I manage the assessment time frames, the data that goes into Illuminate DnA, as well as how we look at that information and what we do with it. So on any day, I could be with the admin talking about their building results, with teachers talking about classroom results, or with the central office talking about district results. I kind of run the gamut in terms of all data and assessment purposes.
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