Karen S. Johnson-August Blog
“The Habit of Kidwatching” by Timothy O’Keefe
It is always
refreshing to read an article that challenges you. “The Habit of Kidwatching” was the article
that did this for me. Although I feel
that I am a keen observer of my students, it’s one thing to observe them on a
casual basis and quite another to keep comprehensive anecdotal records across
the curriculum as Mr. O’Keefe encourages his colleagues to do. I think he makes a very valid argument as to
how anecdotal records should drive your curriculum. The more you interact with your students and
truly get to know them, the better you can plan and meet their needs. Mr. O’Keefe was right in his assertion that
“Kidwatching” is what should be at the heart of what you do in your
classroom. Not only should anecdotal
records be kept for one subject area, but they should be kept on every student
throughout the curriculum. Interacting
with our students is crucial to learning more about them and what they
need. Too often I feel so rushed to
“teach” that I miss what is important.
Spending time with EACH student is vital. Listening to students read will tell us so
much more about their reading ability than a weekly comprehension test on a
basal story. Mr. O’Keefe suggests writing something every
day on each student. I hope that will
become a habit for me as I rediscover that true “Kidwatching” is the best way
to meet students’ needs.
I completely agree. We lose so much when we focus only on benchmark tests and scores. Working with students and noting our observations are so important.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that observing and interacting with our students in intentional and authentic ways helps us to learn valuable information about them. Taking time to jot down notes to hold our thinking about each student and to hold what they are reading, writing, thinking, and trying out can help inform our instruction and provide anecdotal evidence of what they are learning and how they are growing. Sincerely, Dawn