AnonyMouse_11485 Posted January 8, 2010 Posted January 8, 2010 In terms of showing progress then, would you date it Jan (for example) initially, with a note, and then redate it July? It's the showing all children making progress in all areas throughout the year that I find hardest. If it was just on entry and then July, it would be straightforward - all your assessments would informa your planning but you wouldn't have to make concrete, final judgments until you collated all your evidence at the end of the year to ensure it's really embedded. How do you all use the profile to demonstrate progress mid year to Ofsted / SIP / HT? They seem to be looking for steady progress from everyone in all areas, which as we know, isn't how it happens with real children! It's realy a fits and starts thing (when you look at profile statements) as children make their progress at different rates - sometimes slow, small steps which aren't recorded on the profile, which then suddenly fall into place and then wham! Loads of points gained! I try not to get hung up on it but I do find it quite stressful - my assessments, provision and teaching I'm happy with, but it's the things other people 'need' to see in the data that bothers me - the different political and statistical hoops my asessments are expected to jump through. Does anyone else have similar worries?
AnonyMouse_79 Posted January 8, 2010 Posted January 8, 2010 I would argue that the children's development can not be assessed like this and although I would score at termly intervals, I would not stress about wether this was adult or child initiated too much at this stage.
AnonyMouse_25084 Posted January 19, 2010 Author Posted January 19, 2010 I keep reading that the profile shouldn't be used to show progress but how else do people shoe this in reception? x
Guest Posted February 8, 2010 Posted February 8, 2010 hi all, its my very first post on here and i'v spent quite a bit of time looking through all your comments and posts which have all been extremely positive and helpful. I will start off my explaining my situation - as a male nqt in an inner city reception class I can honestly say that I really am trying my utmost for the children in my class but its SUCH hard work! firstly, i work in an open plan classroom, 60 children, 2 teachers and 2 TAs (ocassional students but very unreliable). There are a lot of behaviour issues with the current cohort which we are trying out best to deal with but its like im talking to a brick wall sometimes with some of the children, repeating myself over and over. We have a new foundation stage leader who is absolutely fantastic and i am trying to do everything that she asks of me whilst my mentor is brilliant, the best deputy you could ever work for, and i think the world of her so no problems there its just physically fitting everything into the day that i struggle with - observations/assessment/readers/phonics/teacher led/child initated/outdoor activities - how do all of you experienced practitioners do it?! To top things off my colleague (the other reception teacher who i share the classroom with) is off sick and has been for over 3 weeks pretty much leaving me in the lurch but everyone around me has been ever so helpful but it's hard work being the one that everybody looks too, especially in my first year! Plus I have an interview on wednesday for my own job (currently on a temporary contract till july) which i think is stressing me out as well and the children in my class are picking up on it as well and this is affecting their behaviour. Any words of advice/planning/support/anything! would be fabulous, thanks in advance. x
AnonyMouse_25084 Posted February 8, 2010 Author Posted February 8, 2010 Sorry to hear you are having a hard time! Not sure if I can be of much help but couldn't not reply! I completed my NQT last year so know how tough it is. I think it takes time to find a system that works for you and your team but be afraid to change things if it currently isn't working. Pleased to hear you have supportive mentors. The way I fit everything in is to basically see the day as 2 sessions, morning and afternoon. Each session starts with a brief carpet session and the group tasks run all morning or all afternoon so I have 1 adult doing the group task (as you have double the children and 2 teachers, you could have 2 groups tasks running) and 2 adults observing and modelling etc (1 inside and 1 outside). I do phonics just before lunch. I don't do individual reading except for odd parent helper but do guided reading once a week and phonics activities throughout the week. I only do 1 guided writing activity a week, 2 numeracy a week and the rest of made up of PE and topic. If everything is cross curricular it is much easier to fit it all in. Does this sound similar to what you are currently doing? As for your behavioural challenge, have you got a system in place? I use the traffic light system, all children on green, if they do something good they go on gold and get a sticker for their chart, if naughty they go on orange and have time out, if they repeat the behaviour they go on red and get sent to the head. It works for me but I'm not in an inner city school so guess the behaviour I deal with is minimal to what you have! Hope that makes sense and is of some use! x
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