Heidi Burnett (4) Observation

Quote: "The use of research as a tool for enriching classrooms has been used in many settings. One very simple way to find out about your students' home literacy practices is to observe them as they work and talk. Studies have recorded students' talk outside the classroom and in the classroom and followed children from home and school and back again. These studies have enriched classroom practice...Observation as a tool is rich in possibilities. While we cannot probe the psyche, we can use techniques such as observation and analysis of the things children make to give us insights about how thought is structures, as well as how the social organization of the world appears to the child (Pahl, pg. 126).

Comment: I have never really thought about how important observation is--this reading really brought out how relevant it will be to becoming the best teacher i can be. When I think back to my early education, I truly feel like my teachers knew me. That might seem funny because I don't remember specific conversations in which I told them everything about me. But now, I can see that they were constantly observing me, constantly observing all their students. It makes me realize how much you can learn about a person just through observation. I am going to be sure to use observation as an affective tool for understanding my students.

Question: What are some other ways we can get to know each individual student, besides through observation? Is there one of these methods that you think will be most effective?