How Best to Assess? (So Much to Assess and So Little Time)

This past week I had the opportunity to take over a portion of the teaching day in my 1^st grade dyad placement.  I taught an hour-long math lesson introducing money (nickels and pennies) that incorporated prior lessons on addition, equations and counting on.  I also led an interactive read-aloud on Miss Spider’s Tea Party by David Kirk, highlighting (among other things) the difference between fiction and non-fiction, noticing patterns (rhyme and sequential numbers) and making predictions.  I feel fairly confident that most of the students understood the lesson objectives but without an assessment that provides data on each individual student (such as a quiz or one-on-one conversation) it is very difficult to know.  Most informal written assessments (worksheets, etc.) for which we, of course, do not require students to use “privacy cubbies” of some sort, have the flaw of students being able to easily look at and copy each other’s work.  Although one-on-one conferencing gives us the best data, time rarely allows it.  One of the most surprising things I have learned about teaching is the importance of almost constant formative assessment to inform our teaching, especially with regard to providing extra support for those students who need it.  I have learned that assessment can be as simple as having a group discussion of a book or math lesson, or looking over children’s shoulders as they work on an assignment.  However, this usually does not capture accurate data on every student in the class.  I feel that in my teaching this past week I was able to get a good general “pulse” of where the class was, but I see that I will have to be a lot more conscientious in seeking out formative assessment data on students who might otherwise “fall through the cracks.”  I like Jean’s suggestion of carrying around a notebook at all times that has the students’ names listed down the side to take impromptu notes on their work and our conversations with them.  Other ideas?  What assessments are easiest for you to do "on the fly?"  Which are most effective for you?  Which do you find more difficult to carry out?