We're happy to introduce our new series, Notetaking for Trainers. During this series, we'll discuss strategies to help you ensure that your trainees are equipped with the notetaking skills they need to score classrooms reliably. This series is intended for trainers across all age levels. Enjoy!
Teaching our participants to take notes is an essential part of the training process. Observation notes form the foundation for the coding process. The accuracy of an observer’s codes depends on the accuracy of the observer’s notes. Think of the adage, “garbage in, garbage out.” Good notes increase the chances that the code assigned is a true representation of the classroom. Lousy notes decrease the odds that the code is accurate. In this post, we will focus on things you can do to scaffold your trainees’ notetaking skills and increase their objectivity. We will discuss more strategies in upcoming posts.
Unfortunately, many trainees struggle to take notes. Some may be used to taking anecdotal notes where they write down everything they see. This is problematic. Not only are they writing down things that have nothing to do with the CLASS, but they are also writing everything down. The amount of time they spend looking at the score sheet or typing on their computer may interfere with accurate observations.
In contrast, other trainees may write next to nothing because they do not know where to start. They’re uncertain about what they are looking for and want to make sure that they slot each interaction into the correct dimension. This trainee may spend so much time trying to figure out where things “fit” that they miss much of what happens in the classroom.
How can we teach participants to take good notes? The training PowerPoint provides some good initial guidance. It reminds us to be objective, use short-hand or abbreviations, include direct quotes, and be evidence-based.
Additionally, you can build your trainee’s notetaking skills (and help hone their CLASS lens) by encouraging your trainees to take objective notes starting with the first exemplar video. As you show the exemplar clips for each dimension, ask your trainees to jot down the specific observations that they made related to the indicators. Have them share their observations with the group. If people are reluctant to talk, ask them to tell you what they wrote on their paper. If they haven’t written anything down, you know that you need to model and encourage note taking.
As people share their observations, validate those things that are correct and redirect when they aren’t correct. Using this strategy from the very start helps scaffold trainees’ notes because you focus their attention on specific observations, remind them of the importance of capturing their observations in writing, and help them see where interactions fit. These initial discussions are also a good place to address trainees’ biases. Invariably, someone will comment that there was something about an interaction that they either liked or did not like. That's your opportunity to remind trainees that the CLASS is not about what we like or do not like, but rather that it’s an objective measure of teacher-child interactions. Remind trainees to ask, “What did the teacher say and do?” and “What did the children say and do?” Those questions are what matter when conducting a CLASS observation.
How do you help your trainees learn to take notes?
