observed activity??

1 week today is my hand-in date for all my assignments and paperwork and 2 weeks today is my assessment. I'm getting really nervous now!!
although I feel ok about written tasks and witness statements and I think I should be able to pull together the portfolio ok too. I'm getting a bit nervous about having someone assess me for 6 hours and the thing I'm really worried about is the observed task. I'm convinced its all going to go to pieces!
I'm tempted to change my mind and do something different from what I've had in my head but I really have no idea!!
Probably the areas I need to focus on as they are hard to demonstrate in a written task are relationships and communication with children and sustained shared thinking. I've got some good witness statements and have put up some photos of activities that promote sustained shared thinking, planning, resources etc so should help if my task is shaky!
Think if I look at standards I should be able to plan the tour ok to pick out some standards. just want it over with now - think I'm a bit tired and fed up!
definitely counting the days now!

You need to talk to Donkey - we were having a very similar discussion earlier :D

lol! Thanks Sarah. Think I know what I am doing just need to make sure I've got all the resources and its not going to be too tricky or overcomplicated - ie that it can't go wrong!!!

Don't worry too much, I had mine 3 weeks ago and it was fine.

Mine was 3 hours, hopefully this will give you an idea!
The assessor arrived just after 2.30 and had travelled for a couple of hours!
Well I sensed she understood how childminders work (nice change) the water beads went down very well, plenty of pouring, scooping and laughing as they rolled and bounced around the floor. I added metal sieves and a tea strainer which were used to filter water through. After about 15 minutes children remembered the fake snow we had previously used and asked if we could make some. Fortunately I had about half a pot left and they used the lot so plenty of snow, I let them add the water and mix it, then they suggested putting some of the water beads in. They actually looked great in the snow, animals were added for footprints all child- initiated.
The assessor then sat at my dining table typing and looking through documents I'd left out including learning and development files. She seemed impressed with my paperwork and asked if I did them myself. I had only done summative assessment reports a few weeks ago, updated files and shared with parents, assessor liked that.

After children had gone, kettle on again and then we sat and I had a few questions to answer, I suppose they were the gaps in evidence. I had to give a few examples of how I had supported others to access support for children in their care, any training or events I'd organised for a group of childminders.

Assessor left about 5.45, thanked me for a lovely afternoon and said she loved the water beads activity she hadn't seen them before so is going to order some, also the fake snow which she thought was wonderful. She says it will be a couple of months before certification but I am now an EYP as this is what she is putting forward when submitting her paperwork.

She also said that one witness statement in particular was very thorough, think that was probably one from a long term parent, I've cared for 3 of her children.
Good luck with submitting everything, that in itself is a huge weight off your shoulders?

thanks Smiley - I will deinitely be hugely relieved when I get the assignments in! I have the 3 written tasks and the 2 short written tasks pretty much in hand, I have almost done my portfolio document and got all the paperwork together but haven't written up the tour plan or my personal statement. I have set aside saturday and sunday to do it and had a day off today so have been getting up to date with scrap books and transition records and 2 year progress checks!

My day is 6 hours - not sure why it is so much longer but I have to submit a schedule! theres a 20 minute introduction /orientation of the setting and then the day is broken up - a 45 minute tour of setting which I have to plan and link to standards, an 80 minute examination of portfolio, 45 minute observation, 30 minutes for her to assess the witness statements, an hour for lunch and a 30 minute interview and also I have to reflect on my activity.
How did you manage to get yours all done in 3 hours?! I hope mine goes quicker!

Think I am going to do junk modelling with the children or some craft using shoe boxes. not sure really. I've only got 2 children both in the older age group so hoping that won't count against me - they are both pretty verbal so I hope to get some good communication and sustained thinking out of them!

I had 7 assignments to do and spent last couple of days prior to submission starting and completing 3 of them, bit of a nightmare as they were all so different.
Which pathway have you done? I did GPP which meant from starting end of January, I had 4 months to submission date. All submitted electronically so portfolio evidence built up over time but witness statements, which linked to standards and assignments had to be uploaded one week before the assessor visit. This was to give her chance to look at them all and then any gaps in evidence would be covered during the visit.

I didn't have to give her the tour notes and brief overview of planned session until the day. 30 minute observation, 45 minute tour, 30 minute interview at the end and I think 30 minutes for her to type up evidence, 15 min break for her or something like that. I was told 3 hours and she was about 3 hrs 15 mins. I had concerns about the tour as clearly 45 minutes would be too long to look around a childminding setting but of course that includes looking at documentation, displays, photo boards of activities, resources etc

I did it with Best Practice Network, good luck and shout if you need anything!

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Originally Posted by Bluelion

1 week today is my hand-in date for all my assignments and paperwork and 2 weeks today is my assessment. I'm getting really nervous now!!
although I feel ok about written tasks and witness statements and I think I should be able to pull together the portfolio ok too. I'm getting a bit nervous about having someone assess me for 6 hours and the thing I'm really worried about is the observed task. I'm convinced its all going to go to pieces!
I'm tempted to change my mind and do something different from what I've had in my head but I really have no idea!!
Probably the areas I need to focus on as they are hard to demonstrate in a written task are relationships and communication with children and sustained shared thinking. I've got some good witness statements and have put up some photos of activities that promote sustained shared thinking, planning, resources etc so should help if my task is shaky!
Think if I look at standards I should be able to plan the tour ok to pick out some standards. just want it over with now - think I'm a bit tired and fed up!
definitely counting the days now!

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What are water beads

Water beads are great fun, they can be used in a vase in place of water but I use them as a sensory activity. Theory are tiny but when soaked in water they swell, great for scooping, pouring and very bouncy!
Water Bead Seaside Sensory Tub - The Imagination Tree

I'm guessing they are safe then

thanks Smiley - assignements all handed in the week before as required. Now on final countdown!! I have done the UPP - I am a graduate but on a non childcare related degree so they have put me on the UPP but as a UPP2 ( I was the only one - very embarrasing) i got to go to 3 modules of the final year in early childhood studies but didn't need to submit any of the essays etc. It has been really interesting and I've really enjoyed it.

My activity is linked with some stories we've been doing - tiddler and octonauts, and a trip to the aquarium and beach. on the trip to the beach we'll collect shells and pebbles and use them for the craft project I've not done it before so I'm really hoping the glue will be ok! we've already started to make them the previous week so it will be finishing them off!

I'm just at the point now where I want it over and done with!!

Good luck I'm sure it will be fine, you'll be so involved with the children I'm sure you'll just get on with it and go with the flow. The planned activity sounds fine and it will evolve during the observation depending on the children, great opportunity for sustained shared thinking. That's always a tricky one to document as it tends to just happen though out the day due to all the spontaneous opportunities that present.

I think the anticipation of the assessment visit is the worst part but don't over think it, just do what you always do, pretty much as you would with an Ofsted inspection.

good luck, took me a while to work out what your training for then seen this was in EYPS thread doh!

xx

lol Rubybubbles!
thanks smiley - I'm hoping to show SST and communication/responding with children mainly as they are both hard to document/evidence.
I've put a lot of other standards in next to the activity overview/plan but they are certainly the main ones I want to get.
I've put my activity as first because i want to get it out the way!

good advice already - good luck honey. keep the activity really simple - just sand or water play what they'll be focusing on is the SST you provide within that activity.

xx