As a CLASS observer, I am tasked with observing during transitions and any other activity that is happening inside or outside the classroom, hallway walks, cafeteria, gym, etc. Outside for preschoolers (not infants or toddlers) is an exception as there is not research to back up learning gains at this time.
Once, maybe in the mid west, I observed a group of preschoolers walking down a maze of hallways heading for the cafeteria. It was LONG walk and I feared I'd never find my way back. Observation scoresheet notes and clipboard in hand, I was able to capture a great deal of evidence for many of the dimensions of the CLASS. The teachers spread themselves out and interacted in many ways to spark conversations and creativity. One child was careful not to step on any of the cracks (remember that when you were little?), and the teacher followed his lead trying it herself and talking about how hard it was. Songs were sung, conversations sparked with spontaneity, and children and teachers obviously enjoyed this "activity" to and from the cafeteria.
By the time we got to the cafeteria my 20 minutes were regrettably up, and I scored the cycle over in a corner (always have my manual with me!), and continued observing the next CLASS cycle as they ate and talked over lunch. This was a high scoring couple of cycles. It was also not the typically low scoring walk with children lining up, waiting, getting on each others nerves, and being asked to be quiet. I've often shared this positive story with trainees giving an example of how to get higher scores any time of the day. In other words, relax, have fun, enjoy the company of these wonderful children all the while developing some new learning brain cells and fostering relationships.
As a trainer, I've been asked many times about rules of silence in hallways, cafeterias , and lunch tables with questions such as "will this silence score us lower?" My answer is, "generally yes, but maybe you can come up with some very unique ideas", (like the cool ones in other replies to this post). Maybe you can also take a look at how much time you spend during transitions in your school day. One Head Start program I worked with came up with the realization that 1/3 of their day was in transition! It would be smart for school systems and administrators to take a look at changing the rules to meet educational guidelines.
Just a thought.
Curry Ander, Teachstone Consultant and Trainer
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Curry Ander
Teachstone CLASS Consultant/Trainer
curry.ander@teachstone.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 08-08-2019 11:36
From: Marielle Sheridan
Subject: Observed in hallway for CLASS
Hi Jodi!
Transition times are an important part of children's days, and smoothly getting from one activity to the next is one indicator of a well-ordered classroom. So CLASS observers do include these times in their observations. Other commenters have offered some good suggestions about the types of interactions that can occur during these times, but I think it's important to acknowledge (as @Laura Mykel mentions) that in certain settings, building-wide expectations for noise and activity in hallways may limit the amount of interaction that can occur. If this feels like your situation, I'd offer the following thoughts:
1) Providing learning opportunities during transitions is just one example of how to make transitions effective. It is not required for a high-range score of the Productivity dimension. Another way to make transitions effective is to make them brief! Making sure the routine is clear for children so that you get through the hallway like a "well-oiled machine" and are at your destination interacting again with no apparent downtime will reflect well on the classroom. If you have the Pre-K Video Library or the myTeachstone Learning Resources, check out the exemplar "Talking with a Child While Transitioning Outside" for a sweet example of encouraging learning (and quiet!) in the hallway.
2) Not all interactions require noise! Consider how teachers could establish a language of gestures to engage with children or set a plan for the transition to allow learning to happen silently. For instance, a teacher could prepare children to silently notice something *big* or *tiny* during the walk and ask children what they noticed once they reach their destination.
3) There are other effective things that an observer might notice during a hallway transition, even if the teacher is not actively interacting with the children. Is the teacher monitoring the children? Does she notice any problems that arise? Are children comfortable being close to each other and do they demonstrate that they enjoy each other and being at school? Are the children clear on the expectations for the transition and is their behavior meeting the teacher's expectations? All of these would reflect positively on the classroom and would be balanced with the lack of more obvious, conversationally based interactions in determining scores for the cycle.
4) If children spend a lot of time in hallways or walking between locations at your program and there are strict expectations about quiet in those spaces, consider working with your colleagues and administrators to understand that this is not developmentally appropriate for young children. At the end of the day, a lot of silent hallway time *could* lower CLASS scores for that cycle, and it's important for leaders in your program to understand that children are losing important instructional time through these expectations. "Skipping" these transitions in a CLASS observation will only hide a potential growth area that could have a positive affect on children's outcomes. Work with staff throughout the building to see if there are ways of altering schedules or routes to minimize disruptions without requiring silence.
I hope these ideas help! It's awesome that you're working with your staff to make plans for improvement!
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Marielle Sheridan
VA
Original Message:
Sent: 08-05-2019 13:02
From: Jodi Salcido
Subject: Observed in hallway for CLASS
Hi,
I had a question about where we can observe. A few years back we had an observer who scored a classroom while going down the hall and she was scored low because she wasn't interacting with the children because she was teaching them to be quiet in the hall. We will be observed this year and we are trying to get our staff prepared. Thank you for any feedback on this.
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Jodi Salcido
Butte MT
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