Before you can assess a student's comprehension of a topic, you need to clearly write out the concepts you are hoping to see in action. For instance, if you have just prepared a group of high school students to mentor younger students, you must write out the concepts you would like to see them put into action. A good peer tutor might exhibit friendliness, attempt to put his mentee at ease, model a problem for the student to mimic, and ask guiding questions to lead the younger student to the correct answer. Laying out expectations is crucial if you are to accurately assess your trainee and help her understand what it is that you're hoping to see.
An abstract concept like "friendliness" is very hard to assess, for both the teacher and the student. Instead of leaving the student to interpret your expectations, make a list of actions that would demonstrate this concept. For instance, friendliness can be expressed through kind words, encouragement, facial expressions, and an outgoing personality. List these concrete examples of your expectations so that both you and the student being assessed will understand what is expected, and be sure to share your checklist with the student before the observation.
Because social skills and some school subjects are impossible to assess with a multiple choice test, you must use your interpretation skills. Review your assessment sheet prior to the evaluation, and look for evidence throughout the observation. Make notes whenever you see the student doing something correctly or when you see him exhibit a behavior in direct opposition to your expectations. You can use these concrete examples to help your student understand, learn and improve.
In a situation such as this, a letter grade is insufficient. A student will not learn from his mistakes with a letter grade and won't have the chance to improve his skills. Sit down with the student and revisit the assessment. Remind him of the skills that you were looking for, why those skills are important, and how those skills might be exhibited. Start by talking about the things he did well. If he was particularly competent at one particular skill, start off by discussing it. This will make him feel appreciated and will make him more receptive to any suggestions or criticism that may follow.