Week Seven
What are the most important things to remember when observing your students? (Infographic)
I had fun creating this infographic, I was able to choose my template much faster than the prior week. I chose to make my infographic as the 8 tips on observations. I feel that these tips are helpful and good reminders when doing an observation.
My eight tips: build relationships, be efficient, use time wisely, collect evidence, comparison, outside influences, frustration and boredom all came from the readings I listed below. I feel these tips can be used for observations as well as good teaching practices.
My eight tips: build relationships, be efficient, use time wisely, collect evidence, comparison, outside influences, frustration and boredom all came from the readings I listed below. I feel these tips can be used for observations as well as good teaching practices.
All of these tips are important, but for me I feel that time usage is one of the most important tips because if you are rushed you will not make good observations. If you only do one observation, you are not truly understanding the child and the environment, multiple observations must be done to get a good overall picture. And finally, being able to do observations in different settings will help you with the full picture. An observer could sit with a child at their desk, the observer could stand in the hallway and observe the behaviors outside of the classroom, the observer could sit at the teachers desk and get an overall classroom view. Time is extremely important and being aware of how you are using your time (and other's) is important to remember while observing.
The other tip that was interesting to read about was, is the behavior of a child happening because of boredom or frustration. If you don't know the child, these two behaviors can look very similar. This is an important reminder that knowing the child you are observing plays a huge role as we do our research.
Jablon, J. (n.d.). Taking it all in. Observation in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.isbe.net/Documents_KIDSWebsiteResources/Taking it all in.pdf
The other tip that was interesting to read about was, is the behavior of a child happening because of boredom or frustration. If you don't know the child, these two behaviors can look very similar. This is an important reminder that knowing the child you are observing plays a huge role as we do our research.
Jablon, J. (n.d.). Taking it all in. Observation in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://www.isbe.net/Documents_KIDSWebsiteResources/Taking it all in.pdf
Observing Students. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/observing-students/
Wendle-Barnes, A. (2018, June 27). Examples of Student Observation Reports. Retrieved from https://classroom.synonym.com/examples-student-observation-reports-12313997.html
Wendle-Barnes, A. (2018, June 27). Examples of Student Observation Reports. Retrieved from https://classroom.synonym.com/examples-student-observation-reports-12313997.html
Great post here Keri. I really love the layout of your infographic and the 8 tips you provided for doing observations. You touched on a few points that I hadn't really thought of when writing my own. The quote by Judy Jablon was a great addition to your infographic and I thought putting it at the top so it would be something you first read was really smart. One thing you mentioned that I don't think I thought of was observing in multiple settings. I really like this idea and it is especially important for me since my students don't just work in the classroom but also work in the hallway or even in the student pod areas we have throughout the halls. These gathering areas are a great place to observe students working and it was something I hadn't thought of. I also appreciated how you mentioned outside influences and how that plays a role into a child's behavior or personality. This is another really important factor that I hadn't quite thought of.
ReplyDeleteJust a few questions I had in mind after reading over your post. How many times a week are you planning to observe? How many students would you say you have on average in your classes? Do your students work independently as well as collaboratively?
Thanks for the questions. I was planning on observing twice a week (we only meet 3 times a week for each class). In my personal finance class (the one that I'm focusing on) I have 14 students. In other classes I have between 14 to 23. Students work both independently and collaboratively in all of my classes.
DeleteNice work. I like this and it is easy to follow. I like your explanations and reflections.
ReplyDeleteKeri,
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed looking over your infographic. I really like how you describe each of your 8 tips. For me, I didn't even think about the outside influences that may be effecting our students, but it definitely needs to be taken into account. Very well done.
Two of your articles seem to be popular with the class, I have read two of them and I know Kurtis has. I probably will see them on others as I keep reading. They are good articles.
ReplyDeleteI really like two of your headings, that I really didn't think about: Comparison and Outside Influences. Thank you. Great Job.