Observing A Teacher Led Activity

[Guest]

I wen to visit another setting this afteroon and was quite surprised to see that they use the 2 adults (20 chn.) so that one delivers a teacher led activity and the other observes hw the chn. respond to it and comments on this. This evidence is then used to inform planning.

I had always thought that most observations had to be of c.i or child led activites at the very least. There were 6 children with the teacher and the other 14 had free play around the room, but no observations were done on them, except when they came to the teacher led activity.

I'm worried about what I do now as I would have put the other adult on play partner/ observing and responding to the free play, but perhaps someone could explain to me why this would have been wrong? Thanks.

[Susan]

Mozart, the only time I have ever worked in the way you describe is if I am leading a circle time type activity of some description with the whole class and my LSA/ NN made observations, recording what the children said or did.

 

I have also recorded my LSA leading a music activity, to note specifically the children's responses etc. Sometimes she has observed ICT skills as I have taught them.

 

I have not asked my LSA to record a focused activity that I have delivered to a small group. She would be involved with the children elsewhere in some way, as you describe you do.

 

Im going to move this for you as it doesnt seem to be ICT.

[Guest]

I would say that you would have done the right thing with how you would organise the adults. I'm sure that an adult observing children when being taught can be a useful exercise to observe the impact of the teaching but I wouldn't have it as the norm. Working with/observing the children playing is surely the best use of other adult.

[Guest]

Thanks! I can't get my head around which forum I'm in and probably really annoy everyone by posting in the wrong place- sorry!

I do exactly as you said- only time TA would observe response to me would be in large group - even if I was leading activity for specific skills, I would note children's responses to my teaching myself on a comment sheet nearby.

Thanks for reply.

[Guest]

With a mixed age class of 30, YR, 1 & 2, I'm only just starting to bring YR into the whole class sessions. Previously, I ran a separate group session for them later in the day while my TA supported the Y1/2s. I quite often ask one of my TAs to observe children's responses in whole class sessions at the start of a topic, so that I can decide how much/little to bring in the YR children to whole class sessions in a particular unit of work. I find the notes really useful for AFL. It's also really useful to have an extra pair of ears when the children have paired discussion time during a carpet session.

Another bonus is that one of my TAs is lovely, but a bit of a chatterbox. Giving her an observation focus keeps her quiet and stops her starting off her own conversations with individual children when I'm trying to talk to the group !

Edited November 8, 2008 by Guest