a licensed childcare/educational setting
For this observation, please select a licensed childcare/educational setting and one teacher (in one classroom) to observe for one hour. If you are currently working at a site, you may observe another teacher at your site, but you cannot observe in your own classroom. Please call the site in advance to arrange for an observation. Arrive at your schedule time (not nap time!) and be prepared to write.
Your observation will be focused on teacher behaviors and children’s environment, not children’s behaviors.
In completing and writing up the observation, and in order to receive credit for the work you must:
1. Identify the date, time and location of your observation as well as the name of the teacher you observed. Feel free to use first name only. Introduce yourself to the teacher and explain that you are doing an observation of direct and indirect guidance techniques within a child care setting. If you are observing at the Sophia Bremer Center—please use the observation rooms.
2. On a notepad, record every 5 minutes and describe in detail the teacher behaviors you observe. This is your objective data and will be the foundation of your observation paper. Remember to be completely objective when recording your information. When you see the teacher perform a direct or indirect guidance strategy in the classroom, record the time on the left side of the paper and describe his/her behavior. Record every five minutes regardless of whether the teacher exhibits a guidance technique.
3. As soon as possible after you’ve completed your observation, identify and interpret (professionally) the teacher’s actions by naming specific indirect and/or direct guidance techniques and approaches.
4. Summarize and analyze your observation by writing a narrative paper of the teacher’s behavior. Include:
1. an introduction paragraph that describes the setting that you observed. Look around the whole environment and describe in detail what it contains. Paint a picture with words of what this classroom looks like. Remember that guidance often includes the “backstage work” that goes into classroom environments to prevent challenging behavior.
2. analyze what the teacher did in the classroom by citing specific examples to support (or not support) the use of guidance strategies. For example:
10:45 a.m. Pam notices two children at the puzzle table arguing. She kneels (indirect guidance) down to the children’s level, smiles (indirect guidance) and talks with them about the puzzle pieces (direct guidance).
3. a conclusion or summary that answers these some or all of these questions: how is indirect/direct guidance used in this classroom? How did the teacher use indirect guidance? In your opinion, what worked? What didn’t work and why? What would you do differently? What was most interesting for you about this observation? Do you have any questions about guidance (direct or indirect) now that you have completed the assignment?
