Ch7 #4
What do you now think about the role of observation in teaching, as compared with your thoughts when you first started to read this book?
7 Responses to “Ch7 #4”
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What do you now think about the role of observation in teaching, as compared with your thoughts when you first started to read this book?
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May 10th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I have always thought that observing was important. I did like the comment in this last chapter about scheduling time to observe. Actually writing the time into my lesson plans each day is a good idea. I definitely plan to implement that idea. If I schedule a different time each day, I will cover more areas of development than I have in the past.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
To be honest, even though I knew observing was important, I felt guilty for spending time observing during class. I felt like I should be actively teaching. I now know that it is okay to just sit and observe, and specifically schedule time to do this while others are working with children. This allows me to watch their interactions with other adults, in addition to their interactions with each other during center time.
May 11th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I have always felt that observing is important to determine how kids are moving through a continuum . I agree with Cinda that making a conscious effort to write the time into my lesson plans will help me to look at all the area of development. I am definitely planning on making that a priority next year!
May 11th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I knew observing is key to preschool teaching but I never really considered it as it’s own part of the day. I feel I am always observing but actually taking time to think about what you observed and reflect on it before you come in the next day is what I want to work on. This book helped me to realize everything you get out of observing and I plan to try even harder to make it a real point to take time in the day to use what I have observed and go from there.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I think I have become more relaxed about observation but have also come up with new challenges for myself. Because it is my first year teaching, I have many, MANY, goals for “next year”. One of my goals is to be more aware of my observing habits and the quality of my observations. And I agree with elizabeth- it is definitely going to be one of my goals to find “the time to REFLECT” on what I have observed b/c that is difficult to do.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
I have felt the same way as Julie, guilty for observing during class. It’s hard not to interfere and “do your job” when you’re taking time to really just watch and listen to the children. I realize that we can find a lot of information about children, their families, and our effectiveness as teachers when we take the time to observe and document things. It has helped me many times to really understand specific children and their relationships and their development. As Lisa said, finding the time to reflect is super important. Observations are really quite pointless unless you do something with your findings.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:31 am
I feel that observing is very key to teaching. You do need to make time in the schedule to reflect on observation so you know where to go next with child. You learn so much about the children in your class when you make the time each day to observe and reflect. What I learned about observations the last two years is that when you sit down and watch children play the enviornment really seems to change. Things seem calm and quiet. There are probably many reasons for that.