DHC5 has left me feeling very inadequate.....

[venus89]

I started my DHC5 on Saturday and it's all about observations. We had a huge list of all the different kinds of obs you can do and I realised that I only really do ad hoc obs, or longer 'naturalistic' ones. I don't think I've ever done any tracking style observations - watching the child every 15 minutes. And only a couple of 'target child' observations just for soething to put in the books if I'm lacking things. I haven'd even done any developmental checklists - are these compulsory? I've come away feeling like I don't do nearly enough, and certainly not in the right way.

[Ripeberry]

Well at least now you are learning how to do them. :) Sounds very interesting and at the end of it you will be a pro at doing them :thumbsup:

[Pipsqueak]

no one type of obs is compulsory but each type of obs serves a different purpose - perhaps if you are looking for something specific or the use of an area.

you are not inadequate - thats what we go on these courses for - to learn something new:thumbsup: you might not put some of what you learn into practice - immediately or ever but you have the knowledge and the option later in the future

[sarah707]

I usually do 2 types of obs - longish ones and photo ones.

I am aware of other types but choose not to use them because they don't suit me.

Occasionally I will do a time sample one if I am following a child around who has a biting issue etc.

That doesn't make me inadequate, just secure that I do enough with the methods I already use :D

[Tracey1]

Hiya

I'm also on this assignment, to be honest couldn't get my head around it, as I only do short obs if something is happening, I just don't sit there long enough to listen and look what is going on in say a role play, as someone else always needs my attention.

It has been along time coming to finish this DHC as I have put of this one on hold for a long time, I do mine at home which is the worse thing to do.

This was only to say that you are not on your own. Good luck

Tracey

[venus89]

Thank you all - I will use this to make myself better, of course, it's just that having attended 2 Obs training sessions (one normal, one network) I find I'm still learning. I now understand this A4 folder business that every other childminder does, having seen someone else's it makes sense whereas my lovely but scatty Network Coordinator is not the best at explaining thses things and left me bewildered...... I'm glad others don't use all the types of obs - I haven't had a need to do some of them yet and as Tracy says it's time consuming to do some of them unless there's a real reason to. Thank you all! x