Anecdotal Record

Date of Report: March 13, 2016

Observers Name: Ali Palmer
Students Name: Angelina A
Grade: 2
Setting: English Class
Purpose of observation:
To observe the student in a natural setting to record personal and learner characteristics
unique to him/ her. To select, from the anecdotes, specific behaviours and to use these to
support academic and social skills in the classroom.
Date of observation: March 13, 2016
Time: 1:30pm
Context:
At a grouping of four desks, A.A. was positioned such that she was seated facing towards the
classroom wall. The teacher was speaking to Student A seated at another group of four desks.
A.A. watched and listened as Student A responded to the teachers question. As soon as he
finished speaking, A.A. raised her hand up high. The teacher then asked her what she
thought. A.A. responded that if you are struggling on your math, somebody can help you to
which the teacher commented thats an interesting one, in fact I love how she is thinking.
A.A. constantly swung her right leg back and forth under her desk while watching the teacher
speak. The teacher asked A.A. to expand on her thinking by telling her she liked where she
was going and while looking at A.A. said thats its right there then pointed to her own head.
Looking at the teacher, A.A. answered in a quiet voice. A.A. made pointed air gestures using
her left hand while speaking then lowered her hand and fidgeted slightly with her skirt.
Teacher asked her to say her response again but with conviction because everyone needs to
hear what she has to say. Teacher says to A.A. Come one, a little louder and with
conviction. A.A. repeated her comment in a louder voice while pointing her left index finger
towards the desk. The teacher moved to stand behind A.A. A.A. did not shift her position
while speaking but continued to look forward until she had finished speaking. A.A. then
turned to look at the teacher. As the teacher continued to talk about struggling in math, A.A.
nodded her head, put her right arm on her chair and tapped her face with her fist. The
teacher continued to ask questions. A.A. put up her hand and sat up tall. A.A. faced her
body to look at Student B as he answered a question. She smiled and clapped her hands.
Student C answered and A.A. clapped her hands and said, in unison with the entire class, We
think its great.
Summary:
A.A. seemed restless. A.A. frequently moved and shifted around in her chair and often
appeared to fidget during the lesson but was not disruptive or distractive to others in doing
so. She swung her legs, put her feet up on her chair, repositioned her chair to be closer then

further away from her desk, and played with her pencil. A.A. appears to have difficulty
sitting still at her desk during this extended period of time. It appears that A.A. could benefit
by having her desk repositioned in order that she is better able to follow teacher/student
interactions without having to twist or move around in her seat. Her desk height and/or chair
height could also be a consideration.
A.A. follows classroom rules and puts her hand up when knowing the answer to a question
posed by the teacher. She waited until she was called upon and asked to speak. She
demonstrated good thinking and reasoning skills in understanding that there are different
meanings associated with the word struggle. She appeared confident in her knowledge.
A.A. appeared to agree with what her teacher and classmates were saying by nodding her
head and clapping at their statements.
A.A. spoke clearly and deliberately. A.A. made eye contact with the teacher when the
teacher was positioned in front of her but did not make a concentrated effort to turn and look
at the teacher when the teacher moved out of her direct line of vision. While speaking, she
showed certainty through emphasizing use of hand gestures (pointing/tapping in the air).
A.A. puts her hand up and answered the teachers questions with confidence. It is unclear if
she is generally soft-spoken which could be an indication that she may have low self-esteem
or if this particular situation was just an anomaly. It would be prudent to monitor for any
other evidence or continued frequency of this attribute.
Ali Palmer, March 13, 2016