My take-away from this article was both affirming and
convicting—affirming in that I generally record kidwatching notes on rosters
attached to a clipboard similar to the methods O’Keefe describes in the
article; convicting because I’m well aware that I need to be more thorough and
organized with the anecdotal notes I take during kidwatching moments. My
recording sheets often end up so messy that it’s difficult to use the information
for a positive purpose. Overall, the following
statements from the article inspire me to put more effort into kidwatching
notes: “Kidwatching is not something
apart from the curriculum but rather what holds it together and pushes it
forward into new and often unexplored territory” and “Sitting with a child and
watching and listening carefully may be the best thing we can do to get to know
our students as readers.” (O’Keefe)
Martha, I feel the same way about my notes. I often don't even write them down because of time. When I do, they are so messy that I can barely read them, and I don't know how effective that it. I too would love to do a better job with this.I certainly see the value in it. Maybe I just need to slow down a little and do little more watching and recording. Easier said than done! Ha!
ReplyDeleteMartha time is always the key factor. After reading the article and your comments, my goal is to slow down and realize if it's worth taking the time to record the notes I must find a meaningful and useful way to use these notes to drive instruction. It's clear that kidwatching is a powerful tool but now it's up to me to make it a priority.
ReplyDeleteStep one is always to watch and take notes. You are already gathering data and that is so important! Perhaps a sheet on your clipboard with lined boxes would allow you to quickly jot some notes on a student when the need arises? Leaving them without a name would allow you to not have to flip through a lot of pages. After years and years of searching for the "just right" form, I resorted to notebook paper on my clipboard. I would jot my notes and draw a line underneath it to separate it from my next set of notes. It sounds silly, but it was the best thing I ever did. Yes, it would have been helpful to have a separate sheet per child, but it wasn't practical for me to carry around a lot paperwork all the time. I used the notes when I needed them and I never regretted having them organized that way. I will be anxious to hear what method of recording notes you decide to try!
ReplyDelete