blueprint: December 2015

Teachers have asked me, "how and when I collect my observations for my portfolios". I can tell you that I'm collecting observations all day, everyday. Whether it's small group, large group, outdoor exploration, etc.

I sometimes even wear a hat that says, "observing" so the children know to first go to the other adults in the room with a question if it's not an emergency. (Yes! We get the students in on the fun too!) I have a "work collector", it's usually one of the older students, who can collect work samples for me that she/he sees laying around. If it has no name, the work collector "investigates" and find out who made the work of art and files it in their work folder.

When getting my classroom organized for collecting observations, the first thing I make sure of is that I have provided myself with opportunities to document where ever I go inside the classroom.

I have a pocket folder for blank observation sheets as well as completed ones. I usually carry these around on a ring so i can capture any dialogue or observation in the moment.

I created this observation tool so I could easily write what I see or hear, choose the measures the observation pertain to, then put them in the child's portfolio. A quick and easy procedure. :)

I use these sheets for large/small groups. If I want to observe a specific child, I make a note at the bottom with the measure I'm looking for. This is useful if my assistant is helping with the observations because she will know exactly what to look for.

While some observation tools are made, others are just written on paper- whatever paper closest to me.

There is no wrong or right way to collect observations. I have seen some teachers use apps. A few apps I like for documenting are Evernote, skitch, and pages. My favorite is the notepad that comes with the apple devices. It is an awesome tool because you can add pictures, make notes, and hand write. I even allow the children to write words on it & wha-la you have a measure!