Teacher Observation Logs
Purpose: To systematically record observations of student performance or
progress. These cumulative observations can provide evidence of skill
development, progress toward goal achievement, and areas of strength or
weakness.
Process:
The documentation process does not need to be elaborate or lengthy. What is
more important is the regular and systematic collection of observations that will
form a rich picture of student performance. Descriptive teacher observations
make sense when:
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What you want to observe is an integrated process that does not lend
itself to being broken down into component pieces
You want to observe students’ language use or cognitive or metacognitive
strategies in progress
You just need a very quick, general sense of progress
a. Think about the strategies or behaviors you are looking for. Decide how you
will record what you will record what you will observe. In some cases you will
simply jot descriptive notes. In others you may want to do a simple rating of
the learners. For example, you might record a -, , or + to rate strategy
use. A third approach is to have a short checklist to work from. See the Read
with Understanding Guide and Diary [link to
http://cls.coe.utk.edu/efftlc/tools_read_understanding.html] as a way to record
observations related to a particular standard.
b. Select just a few students or groups to observe. While students are
completing the activity, circulate around the room.
c. When appropriate, ask students brief questions to “think aloud” about what
they are doing to clarify your observations.
d. Describe and interpret what you see based on what you know about the
students.
Worksheet (Word file) [link to word file below]
Effective teachers see things. They file those things away. They
accumulate evidence of proficiency. They know their students. No other
assessor of student achievement has the opportunity to see students like
this over time. But beware . . .You must constantly ask yourself: What did I
really see? Am I drawing the right conclusion based on what I saw? How
can I capture the results of this spontaneous assessment for later use?
Stiggins, 2001: 212
Used in Teaching/Learning Examples
Reading a Grocery List [link]
[link as word file to tool]
Sample observation forms:
Name:
Date:
Date:
Date:
Name:
Observations
Date:
Notes
Date:
Date:
Name:
Name:
Name:
Class: