preschool teachers?

Question

when do preschool teachers observe? and what do they do with thier observations?

Answer 1

Observation goes on every time class meets. These are young kids and it is important to observe them often to see if they are progressing socially and academically. After several months of class, based on observations we prepare a conference day. Parents then come in and we are able to discuss all we have seen and heard during the school year. This determines if the child is ready to move up to the next level of preschool and finally into Kindergarten.

Answer 2

They ask questions and then observe. Observations are for the benefit of the parents. A teacher asks the student a question, and based on the student's answer, the teacher makes an observation about the student's progress which is then put on a report card for the parents.

Answer 3

When don't we observe?! It is, and should be, a continuing process that goes on throughout the day, all year. You can make it easier on yourself by following or devising a plan to observe for specific behaviors, skills or time periods. I find it easy to focus on one specific skill (such as jumping or buttoning or drawing a circle) for everyone in the class that day. Just jot it down in a notebook as you observe what each child can do, and then transfer it to a program such as Desired Results or Creative Curriculum or HELP Strands to chart progress. The purpose of observations can be many things... chart overall progress, chart progress on one specific skill (often used with children with IEP/IFSP plans- special ed), chart behavior patterns, or chart potty skills- really anything you'd like to chart. You use the observations to plan your curriculum (no point in doing something your children are either not ready to learn, or are way past learning), plan a behavior management plan, or work on developing certain skills for individual children. Observations can help you see where (at what level) a child is currently functioning, and help you to plan what step they should move onto next. For some comprehensive developmental goals, you can check out checklists such as Desired Results Developmental Profile http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/ci/drdpinstructions.asp that give goals for "typically developing" children ages birth- 12 years. You can print these out and use them to chart progress for your children in the class. You can also keep profiles of their work (called a portfolio) by collecting things that they make in class as part of their profile. You can also take photos of the kids making things, stacking blocks, etc to put in their file and prove the skills you are finding. Observation is an invaluable tool for teachers.