Guest Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 I currently work with a plain note book and write what I see "...childs name is working with water and cylinders she has put in one cylinder a plastic fish, puts her hand in, unable to reach she proceeds to pour water in and her facial expression changes as the fish rises.." I then transfer this to an observation sheet which is divided into the 6 areas of learning ( 3 columes on one side and on reverse the other 6.) It is dated i.e. August 2003 then I write exactly what I saw, no judgements. This would be placed under the Knowledge and Understanding colume. The next step would be to continue with this concept and add to the water ares floating and sinking objects "enhancements". This is a complex way of recording and we all know that cutting down on paperwork is a must. But it has to be effective and we all have different views on progression and learning. This waqy you are not judging and when it is read by the parent they see their own child and personality which we are forgetting!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 30, 2003 Share Posted August 30, 2003 We work in pretty much the same way, with 3 columns on each side of A3 for each area of learning. We tried using the tiny post-its to record observations and stick straight into the observation files, but missed what was going on by trying to write info down in a way that would be legible to others, so decided that the long-winded way of writing up observations from notes was preferable. The benefit of this is that when you write up your observations, you get time to reflect on them and use them appropriately. So far, we haven't shared them directly with parents - we've used them as a basis for discussion, but sometimes the comments written aren't as objective as they should be... obviously this is something we need to tackle as a team. The observation sheets are big enough to add annotated photos (the small ones from Tripleprint - we use the big ones for display and sell the other small copy for nursery fund if it isn't needed), which would be great to share directly with parents as they show concrete examples of what their child is doing and where they are in their learning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 I don't think you should be rewriting your observations. Revisit & explore implications for future learning etc but not rewriting. Your observation should be just that ---what you see happening. Your interpretation of it is, not your observation. The profile training I received was quite explicit in this. Tina Bruce talked to us in our LEA and she was adamant, Do NOT rewrite, even if you think your writing is awful! I can't come to terms with post it notes so I also use an A4 notebook that I keep by me at all times, to record individually or group responses to a directed tasks or to track children but I never rewrite. When do you have time? I try to annotate individual records against this notebook for significant achievements but even that can be impossibly time consuming but when the profiles came I had a body of evidence/ information with which to work. Nurseries may have time to make lovely individual record books with their keyworker systems but in my school, our support staff are still learning. As the teacher it has to be my responsability to maintain records that will allow me to produce the necessary data and I do not have time to make beatuiful individual books, nor does the profile require that, rather a classbook of experiences and achievements as Steve has indicated elsewhere. I am planning to work with the support staff to make them more proficient. Just another little job to do!! Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted September 10, 2003 Share Posted September 10, 2003 Hi - Can I put this post in on behalf of Tulip, who sent it to me via the Report This Post button by accident instead of posting it. (I'm going to have to do something about that button! ) We have radically overhauled our obsevation and assessmant prosedures after one of our children came back from Tazmania. In his book there were notes written on sticky labels and these were then stuck into the book. At the end of his time there,,we had a comprehensive insight into what he had done and how he had got on. We modified this and we now write any relevant pieces of info into a diary on the correct date. These obs are then transferred into the child's profile at the end of each week. I can then reflact on the findings and plan for the following week. We have struggled to get all the paper work to a managable level and it's still a work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Hi - it's interesting reading all the different ways of noting down. I supervise a Playgroup, and having trained as a Montessori teacher in Scandinavia find your (read UK) need for exactitude quite disheartening. Where is the joy of working with the children to promote interest and curiosity going? All I see is my hardworking staff suffering under a need to be seen to be doing something, monitoring, observing, planning to an nth degree, and to get little Johnny interested in counting ducks in the pond, rather than planning for an interesting, involving day with the children. Using the children's foci to develop and stimulate. In my view, I think we in the UK are going down a rather dangerous path, where people will forget the basic requirement of good pre-school education is unlocking the door of knowledge. We will all end up knocked into square holes by the men and women in grey suits. P.S. I find it quite hard to understand teachers who take the profiles we give them, with all the work and observation notes, and say, 'ah yes, very nice, but we do this all at the end of foundation stage, so give it to the parents please, we don't want it'. That has happened twice to our group now! Min Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 I'm horrified to hear that your hard work is being rejected in this way. I'm disappointed that the profile document takes no direct account of the children's learning in their previous setting and that it has to be re-researched by us the teachers in school! I agree with you that the planning has taken over the agenda but it is possible to see the wood for the trees and work from the child not the objective. You just need to be brave enough to do so! My best lessons are always the unplanned, spontaneous variety! Susan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 My self and my girls have become increasingly disheartened with all the paperwork we have around us, and the fact that for the 4th year running we have found that the reception teachers again, were uninterested in the folders, progress sheets, and obs done ( i even had a meeting with them )so we decided that as from this sept we would worry less about observing and more about playing with the children. What a lovely half term we have just had!!! yes, there were obs done, but very simple notes, what we saw and heard, maybe a sentance here and another one there. All this added up to what that child had done that half term, job done!! the main point was that we for the first time in a long time we enjoyed the childrens company, we played, we chatted with them about the weather, trees and childrens stuff, we laughed. I have no doubt in my mind that someone will pull us up for it when they see the paperwork, but the children have definatly benefited from it - and as far as we are concerned that is what is important kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2003 Share Posted October 29, 2003 hi i am a fourth year doing my final placement in a nursery. i find that the amount of paper work involved in early years is ridiculus! it has certainly put me off early years. i am also worried about my assessment strategies. my teacher uses post it notes and nothing else and i feel that this method maybe ok in the long run but for my short stay i am not getting to know each child's abilities as well as i had hoped to. or maybe i need to see how things go. what do you think? jas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hi Jas, and welcome to the site I'm sorry you have almost been put off working in the early years before you have finished training On a more positive note, the work IS manageable; you just need to be able to put things in perspective and prioritise. When you say your teacher uses post-it notes and nothing else, do you mean s/he just does "catch-as-you-can" type observations, ie she scribbles obs down when something significant has happened? Longer observations on each child, or on a particular area of provision within the setting would give a more detailed assessment result. Does s/he carry out these types of observations, too? You will find our article on observation and assesssment useful in your placement. Have you found it on the site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hi Kim - Welcome back - it's been a while since I saw you here! Good to hear that you've found a way to liberate yourself from the paperwork. I think in order to stay sane you need to strike a balance, and it is possible to do this. You can only do what you can do, and the secret must be to find a system as efficient as possible, which allows you to manage the recording work while still leaving you time to do what most people joined the profession to do - spend time with the children! Nice to hear from you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2003 Share Posted October 30, 2003 Hi steve I am sorry i have been away, i have been in this little world of accreditation, ofsted, paperwork and heeeeelp get me out please!!! I have released myself and seem to be on top of it all again, and am trying to catch up on all the forums i belong to, to see what i have missed. Your point about finding the right balance is exactly what we were looking for when we decided to change our system. and for us this works, and we still have a good picture of the childrens progress but we are more relaxed and i actually feel we are more approachable. I will let you know if anyone tells us off!!!!!!!!! kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted November 3, 2003 Share Posted November 3, 2003 Dear Kim glad to hear you had a good half term. We too are coming round to realising that planning for planning's sake is not positive. I think the most important thing is that the children feel safe and secure, that they are included as individuals and that we listen to what they have to say. Also, I am slightly negative to the 'teacher' oriented planning we have to do (Surrey), it appears in a fairly top-down format. No-ones day in playgroup runs as smoothly as the planning shows! I think the most important thing is to have a stimulating environment, possibly with a theme for the half term or 3 weeks so that the adults can keep control. That is what our playgroups/pre-schools should be judged on. Our Ofsted is due next term - should be interesting as I feel quite strongly about all this! P.S. Anyone getting information from their Early Years Assessors/Advisors/Assistants (based at county level) about Reggio Emilia educational ideas. Seems to be a bit of a buzz 'phrase' with some of ours, but no-one really seems to know what it is all about or whether our English 'culture' could embrace it. Appreciate some feedback if poss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest freidalaurie Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 have found all the e mails on the topic really encouraging. Seems we are all in the same boat - trying hard to please everyone but knowing that the children must come first. I am a nursery teacher who is constantly under pressure to show by 'records' that I am doing a good job!! The foundation manager teaches year 4 but has attended some courses which means that each course becomes a new 'whip' as she learns the theory. My nursery officer/nurse is wonderful - we share the same 'feel' for where the children are coming from. We have extensive 'plans' and 'targets' that are 'in line with rest of the school' but we strive to maintain the joy and fun of shared discoveryand learning through creating and play using as many of the senses as possible. I have just spent much of the xmas hols. in creating a 'whole class' record of assessments sheet that can be viewed/used easily but we still have to fill in a 'book' of 25 pages!!! We are trying to find the correct balance between observations and recording as well as 'indoors' , 'outdoors'. The COMMON SENSE approach of your subscribers is refreshing - I'm downloading many of these as amunition for our own situation. Thanks again Freida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Hi Freida Welcome to the site and thanks for your first post. I am amazed that your foundation stage manager teaches year 4. Has she always taught an older age group? Often, when people are going on theory alone they find it hard to see it put into practice-where it has to be adapted to suit the needs of particular children and particular groups. Each year group can be so different. Last year we had a lot of very boisterous children, including the girls. This year we only have a few, thank goodness as these few are such hard work. Some of the work we have done in the past is not appropriate for this particular group-we have a lot of very bright children this year. Some years we have a breeze of a year with children settling very quickly-this year is not so. lots of criers!!!! So you need to be in there and using the theory. Does she ever spend time in the nursery with you? Might be a good idea if possible. Keep posting and giving us your views etc. Glad you found us! Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mundia Posted January 4, 2004 Share Posted January 4, 2004 Hi there Freida and welcome to the site. I hope that you will fnd lots of useful support here and we look forward to getting to know you better. I too am amazed that your manager is based in year 4- was that her choice or the Heads? My last head was of the view that you could work anywhere and still be phase manager. Do fight your corner as best as you are able, 25 pages sounds like an awful lot of paperwork and you really shouldnt be doing that. If you get on Ok with your manager, you could arrange a meeting to discuss this. keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 7, 2004 Share Posted January 7, 2004 hi, In my setting we to use roughly the same methods as most of you. We use the sticky labels and put them into observation books. As part of our work with parent patnerships, the children also have an individual portfolio which they put their special pieces of work into. We also have a digital camera in setting, so they take photo's of each other at activities, download them on the computer and then print them and stick them in their book. We know them as portfolio's but the children ask if they can put something in their "special book" these are then shared with parents. The children can bring things in from home they have done if they wish and that goes in as well. As well as showing what the children have done which they find important, it also gives parents an insight to their child's learning and development. And best of all the children think they are so special. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts