How do you do yours?

[lorettacritchet]

Hi,

I currently make quite a lot of work for myself when noting observations etc and am looking for substantial decrease in what I do without lacking the quality! so to speak.

My current process is:

- Get observations from children's diaries, note in private notepad and eventually get around to typing them up on each child's electronic monthly observations sheet (this will include all activities and observations through free and planned play), next to this column will be the learning aspect covered and the next column will have planning/next step and next to that will be date completed of next step.
- For some reason I also copy all the observations onto an excel tracker which again has the same information but with the actual evidence of what happened i.e. Child A took well to activity and participated (would be my evidence)
- Mark EYFS trackers with dates certain points have been completed.

I have seen so many ideas and not sure how to file observations anymore nor note them down, Some people are using stickers and putting them on sheets of A4 with or without photos, their children files are sub divided into learning aspects but I find this highly confusing because things like cooking to me is MAT more than PD or a certain activity could reflect a lot of several aspects....at the moment I file observations under that section, LJ's etc under their own section and not under the specific learning aspect.

I am looking at using stickers, noting down the big WOW moments, sticking them on paper and writing the next steps underneath? It's just how I will file it because I can only imagine one month could fill my files in minutes! I do quite a lot of observations, sometimes 20 in a month, depending on the time the children are with me. Some observations are also little like "Child A used spoon! in which case I can't bear to waste the white space on an A4 sheet.

Any advice on shortening my workload would be greatly appreciated. thanks

[jadavi]

Do you have an iPhone?

The app 2Simple has transformed my obs as they have drop down menus for the outcomes.
It takes minutes to do using a pic from my phone and looks really professional printed out after emailing to yourself. Best of all ofsted loved it

[moggy]

A few time savers that might help you streamline:

- you do not need to write the Aspect for each obs, just the Area (unless you are a complete beginner to the EYFS and are unfamiliar with Aspects and need written note to help you)
- you do not need to write the age-stage for each obs, just a termly or 6mthly check/tracker across all obs to see if child is on track.
- you do not need a next step for every obs, just when a really useful and relevant one comes to mind.
- you do not need it typed up at all. Only if you want. Hand written is fine.
- you do not need to put actual obs/evidence on to a tracker, just a general highlighted age/stage area and date. You have the evidence amongst your obs and if asked I am sure you can point to a few examples to support your decision on where a child is on the tracker.
- obs do not need to be in the daily diary if it is causing duplication. Yo can keep diary for the general nappies/naps/we did this/we went here etc.

[lorettacritchet]

Sorry I don't ! But I am glad it's working for you x

Do you have an iPhone?

The app 2Simple has transformed my obs as they have drop down menus for the outcomes.
It takes minutes to do using a pic from my phone and looks really professional printed out after emailing to yourself. Best of all ofsted loved it

[lorettacritchet]

In addition to the way observations are done, how does everyone file them? are there any particular sections?

[Bluebell]

observations in chronological order for me and an overview sheet so I can see where I am at with each child - so I don't repeat same observations over and over and so I know what areas I need to plan for. The observation sheet I devised was an area for notes, an area for next step and then all the areas of learning at bottom with tick boxes so I could just tick the area. This for me was really easy but it was the photos that took the time!

I also use an online tool - and it has saved me so much time. I take photo, add note and then add to which learning area I want to use it for (or just click 'send to album' - it doesn't have to be an assessment)
Before I was taking photos, sending to computer, printing out, cutting them, and sticking them in, and of course I wasn't doing it every day so it piled up!!!

[blue bear]

20 observations a month is an awful lot, I do about 4 even for full timers.

[moggy]

20 observations a month is an awful lot, I do about 4 even for full timers.

Goodness, yes, I didn't notice that- one a week for a full timer is fine, or none for a fortnight and then 3 the following week is usually the way as they have a 'spurt'!