After reading this article, I had to go back and reread it. Whether it was because I just wasn’t paying attention the first time or actually did not understand it, I thought, did the author even tell me what kidwatching was? After I reread it though, I learned that the author did indeed tell me. What I believe I was looking for the first time I read it was something brand new and something I had never heard of before. The second read told me, and reassured me, that kidwatching is not something brand new. I already do kidwatching in my classroom, simply with minor adjustments. I keep notes on my students. Not extensive, but quality notes over quantity. I take notes on my students from reading and writing conferences in a notebook. I record things like what they are reading/working on in writing, their thoughts, what they are doing well, something specific they can work on, or a note for me to teach a specific skill.
What I hope to do is elaborate on my kidwatching to include more about my students’ personal preferences; getting to know them as a person. The line, “It is getting to know each child in as many different contexts as possible-to know each child as a person unique in all the world.” that struck me. We are all people first. Not only do I want to know my students as readers and writers, but also who they are at their core. I think that by knowing these types of details, I can help my students grow in more specific ways. I also believe that by recording what our students do, we can share what we notice with them. Not only do we, as teachers, need to know our students, but we also need to help our students become aware of what they do. Do they read without expression? Do they mouth the words silently as they read in their heads? By helping our students recognize and acknowledge what they do, they can begin to know who they are as a person, reader, and writer, what they are experts at, where they need to continue to grow, and who they can turn to, to help them with their growth.
It's funny, you're not the only person to comment on how good teachers already kid watch. You're right, it is important to see how kids are performing on content area tasks. It's also important to get to know your kids as people. This time taken to develop those relationships better equips you to help them with academic needs. Great observation!
ReplyDeleteHi Helen,
ReplyDeleteI love the way you think! One of the reasons I love kidwatching and strategies like conferencing and modeling is that they aren't "new" or "hard" but they do require an intentional valuing of them as processes and as products which ensures that we will prioritize them and carve out the time to do them because what they provide us in building relationships with our students and learning about them as people. I loved how you transacted with how kidwatching values our students as people first. I agree! Thank you, Dawn