Rasmieh Mustapha

February 26, 2026

Midterm Test

Read the following anecdotal report. Identify the 6 types of errors made, and explain the
errors, including examples from this report. Identify 5 types of bias in this report, and
explain the inappropriateness of the comments, including examples. Rewrite the report
without errors or bias.

Date of Report: Wednesday, January 20th, 2021

Student: Dylan Buchanan, 4 years old

Context/Setting:

I have been observing Dylan’s peer interactions (Co-operative play). Dylan was playing in the
block area with Mrs. Smitt, Taj, Michael and some other children from the class. They were
using a variety of materials to build a fort including chairs, blocks, boxes, blankets, masking tape
and scissors. They boys were acting a bit wild as the weather was too crummy for outdoor play
time. Dylan is a super cute little kid, although he needs to bathe more often. During the
observation, Dylan demonstrated communicating his needs. For example, he said “Get off there
guy!” when Taj was sitting on the blanket which was to be the roof of the fort. Mrs. Smitt said “I
noticed you started to yell, but then your voice got softer, good using your words”. Dylan was
also able to express his emotions. He said “Guys, you making me angry”. After this, there was
some conflict as Dylan only wanted some children to enter the fort, and not others. When the
EA said “What do we need to do Dylan?”, Dylan responded by said “(Taj) can come in, but only
him because he (referring to Michael), keeps wrecking it all day long.” This is pretty normal for
Dylan, he can be a bit of a control freak lol. Mrs. Smitt said, "You know what, we need to figure
out a way to stabilize this”. Dylan responded by saying “can someone build this”, while holding
up a corner of the blanket up and over to Mrs. Smitt to put the roof on together. He invited
ONLY Taj to come into the fort again. When Michael responded by saying “but not me?”, Dylan
said “you can't come in” while shaking his head and pointing towards Michael. Michael said
“Anyone can come in?” to which Dylan said “NO”. The children were given tape and scissors to
secure the blanket roof. Giving JK students scissors seems like an accident waiting to be happen.
Given my experience, I would be a much better EA for this class. When Mrs. Smitt asked Dylan
what was his idea for the tape, he responded, "Tape it on". His tone and volume would be
considered appropriate for this setting. Owen used scissors to cut the tape, while Dylan held it.
Dylan took the cut tape and stuck the blanket roof to the fort. When Mrs. Smitt reported that the
fort roof collapsed slightly, Dylan said “That’s okay!”. Mrs. Smitt asked if the fort was ready to
go in, as Taj was really anxious to get in. Dylan responded “Well, not yet” and skipped away to
fix another part of the roof. Taj and Dylan continued to work on the fort, cutting and taping the
blankets to the structure. Dylan asked Mrs. Smitt “you cut this?”. Mrs. Smitt responded that Taj
has scissors. Dilan showed Taj where to cut and rudely said “Cut it right there.”. Dylan and Taj
continued to cut and tape together. When the tape got twisted, Dylan screamed and forcefully
pulled at the tape. Mrs. Smitt said “Okay, settle down, I know it’s frustrating. How can we help
you?”. Dylan pointed at the fort and growled like a maniac. Mrs. Smitt said “Taj has some
scissors here. You know what, it is tricky with tape, sometimes it gets twisted. Dylan worked
alone for approximately 10 seconds, then continued to work away at constructing the fort with
his classmates. Taj used the scissors instead of Dyl, which was probably a good idea given
Dylan's anger issues.

Summary/Analysis. Dylan has anger management issues and does not have the skills to
respond appropriately to peer conflicts. This might be because of his parent's recent separation.
His language development is poor for his age, my four-year-old speaks much more clearly than
Dylan.

Signature: Jennifer Tate

Name: Jennifer Tate

(Educational Assistant)

Date: November 5th, 2020

Response:
Error Type Give examples of this
error from the report
Clear 1-, Dylan responded by said
2-They boys were acting a
bit wild as the weather was
too crummy for outdoor
play time.
3-He invited ONLY Taj to
come into the fort again
4-where to cut and rudely.
Explain what was wrong
with this phrasing
This is a grammatical
error; it should be written
in proper sentences, such as
what Dylan responded by
saying. Also, in the second
example, another
grammatical error is The
boys not “they boys. “In the
third example, the educator
wrote ONLY in the capital
letter, so the reader may
understand that like
shouted. And in the last
example, rudely describing
his reaction is improper. It
is a negative impression.
The notes/reports should be
easily understood. They
should be written logically
and in proper English – no

Confined –Reports must be
written within 24 hours* of
the observation, to avoid the
loss of critical details.
(Mactaggart, Module 4,
Slide 32, 2023)
1-Hi Ali
Can you please file this
report? I need to leave right
at the bell today. Or just
leave it with Katie, the
secretary. She can give it to
the principal tomorrow.
Thanks,
Jennifer
2-Date of Report:
Wednesday, January 20th,
2021-Name: Jennifer Tate
(Educational Assistant)
Date: November 5th, 2020
slang or idioms.
(Mactaggart, Module 4,
Slide 23, 2023)
Formal observation
reports should never leave
the school. They should
never be on display/left out
for others to read them.
These should be locked in a
filing cabinet or secured in
the teacher’s desk.
(Mactaggart, Module 4,
Slide 32, 2023)
Yet, the educator does not
request that another
member of staff file this
report; instead, she
provides Katie with the
option of submitting it on
her behalf to the principal.
So, this report was
accessible to all employees.
In the second example,
because the observation
took place on January 20,
2021, yet the report was
made on November 5,
2020, the educator may
have misled the reader in
this report.
 Complete – “This includes 1-His tone and volume
signing and dating each would be considered
report you appropriate for this setting.
write.”(Mactaggart, Module
4, Slide 29, 2023) 2-Date of Report:
Wednesday, January 20th,
2021-Name: Jennifer Tate
(Educational Assistant)
Date: November 5th, 2020
3-which was probably a
good idea given Dylan's
anger issues.
Correct 1-Giving JK students
scissors seem like an
accident waiting to be
happen.
2-They boys were acting a
bit wild as the weather was
Can you be concise and
accurate? Only add relevant
details regarding
Interactions, actions, and
conversations, but include
all so that other readers will
truly understand what
occurred thoroughly
understand the tasks and
events that were
documented. (Mactaggart,
Module 4, Slide 29, 2023)
The video does not contain
this information. She didn't
specifically mention what
happened, which is
inaccurate reporting. The
educator supplied pertinent
information, stating that the
volume and tone would suit
this context.
In the second example, the
EA signed the report on a
different date. While in the
third example, “Dylan's
anger issues” is not a
relevant detail to mention
in the report.
Aim for complete
correctness in all your
reports and notes. You
must accurately represent
the events; do not twist the
truth to support your own
position. Be truthful, even
 too crummy for outdoor if it means admitting to
play time. mistakes. (Mactaggart,
Module 4, Slide 30 2023)

In describing the events,

the educator needs to be
more accurate. However,
she falsified the
information by stating that
she thought an incident
would occur because she
thought playing with
scissors would signal
something terrible.

In the second example, she

used the word "wild" to
convey her opinion that the
children behaved,
especially since they were
forced to remain indoors
due to the bad weather.

Confidential – 1-He invited ONLY Taj to All student data in your

come into the fort again. reports must be always kept
private. Make sure you
2- When Michael responded comply with all applicable
by saying “but not me?”, rules and regulations on
Dylan said “you can't come confidentiality.
in” while shaking his head (Mactaggart, Module 4,
and pointing towards Slide 31, 2023)
Michael. Michael said
“Anyone can come in?” to In this case, the educator
which Dylan said “NO”. disclosed all the children's
names, not just the ones she
had observed, which
indicates that she had
broken the confidentiality

Concise 1-Giving JK students
scissors seems like an
accident waiting to be
happen.
2- They boys were acting a
bit wild as the weather was
too crummy for outdoor
playtime.
regulations. Nonetheless,
the teacher needs to provide
each student with a separate
report. (Mactaggart,
Module 4, 2023)
Only the facts, and nothing
else, should be included in
any documentation. This is
not where to speculate,
hypothesize, or go on about
unimportant details. You
might not want to include
your opinion of some
students or circumstances.
(Mactaggart, Slide 26,
Module 4, 2023). As the
educator describes the
scenario, she is not being
objective. She uses the
word "seems like," which
indicates that she is
speculating about the
likelihood of an accident
and not stating the facts but
rather her belief. And in the
second example, she
assumes that kids act out
because they stay in the
classroom because of poor
weather.
Bias Type
1. Emotional Response:
describing anything more
positively or adversely
depending on the impression
given by appearances,
interactions, or environment.
(Mactaggart, Module 6, Slide
7, 2023)
2. Expectancy Error: This is pretty normal for
assuming something is there Dylan ,he can be a bit of a
while you don't actually see control freak lol
it. This can result in grave
misinterpretations of a
person's capabilities.
(Mactaggart, Module 6, Slide
13, 2023)
Give examples of this type Explain why this
of bias from the report statement was
inappropriate
Dylan is a super cute little
kid, although he needs to
bathe more often.
The educator begins the
statement by saying that
Dylan is quite cute, but then
adds that he needs to bathe
more. This conveys to the
reader that she shouldn't
approach the child because
of how he smells. EA
should be conscious of the
possibility of bias in
reporting. (Mactaggart,
Module 4, 2023)
Expectancy error bias is
evident in the educator's
judgement that Dylan is a
freak, and this phrase
shouldn't be included in the
report since it will lead to a
misunderstanding of
Dylan's skills.
Depending on the
impression given by
appearances, interactions,
or environment, one may
describe a situation or
behavior more favorably or
negatively. This caused
Dylan's teacher to notice

3. Prior Knowledge: Your
biases may be rooted in your
earlier education, training,
and experience. (Mactaggart,
Module6, Slide 11, 2023)
that Dylan needed more
baths. (Mactaggart, Module
6, 2023)
Dylan's teacher might see
Dylan not as a freak but as
competent, capable of
complex reasoning, curious,
and full of potential.
Given my experience, I Bias may develop if the
would be a much better EA observer chooses just
for this class. simple examples or parts to
report, making it impossible
to resist including
subjective statements. The
educator's prejudices in this
claim might have origins in
past education, practice,
and experience. After if
something would happen if
the kids used scissors, she
said that based on her
experience, she would be a
much better EA for this
class. Instead of
highlighting accuracy or
objectivity in her report,
she focuses on her
experience as an EA.
(Mactaggart, Module 6,
2023)
4. Confusing Performance
with Competence: It's
possible that the student's
"performance" during your
observation was not
representative of how they
often behave, which could
prejudice your assessment of
their ability level.
(Mactaggart, Module6, Slide
10, 2023)
5. Losing Sight of
Standards: mental
comparisons with a
potentially unjust standard
(Mactaggart, Module 6, Slide
1-Dylan pointed at the fort
and growled like a maniac.
2-Dylan has anger
management issues and
does not have the skills to
respond appropriately to
peer conflicts. This might
be because of his parent's
recent separation.
His language development
is poor for his age, my four- students, and it is biased to
year-old speaks much more say that one has low
clearly than Dylan.
The educator must transmit
the information without
bias or an opinion and
objective, not subjective, to
provide a report.
Nonetheless, the educator is
biased in this report when
she describes Dylan as a
maniac as he is building a
fort. The student's
"performance" during the
observation may not have
been representative of how
they often behave, which
could have influenced the
educator's assessment of
Dylan's level of
competency. Dylan may
have appeared hysterical,
but he is full of enthusiasm
and creativity (Mactaggart,
Module 6, 2023). In the
second example, the
educator must apply
subjectivity signals to
analyze an incident based
on a professional opinion
rather than assuming what
had happened in the past or
the status of the parents.
It is unfair to compare two
language development
while the other has
 6, 2023) excellent language
development.

Due to her egocentric

nature, educators tend to
absorb comparative
information in a way that
makes it feel personal and
unique to her. This is the
propensity to believe that
comparisons and general
character traits—like
language development—
apply just to oneself
without realizing that the
same traits might be applied
to everyone else.
(Mactaggart, Module 6,
2023)

New Report:

Date of Report: November 5th, 2020

Student: Dylan Buchanan, 4 years old

Context/Setting: Block area

I have been observing Dylan’s peer interactions (Cooperative play). Dylan was playing in the
block area with Mrs. Smitt, and his friends. They were using a variety of materials to build a fort
including chairs, blocks, boxes, blankets, masking tape and scissors. The boys were playing with
full enthusiasm and energetic because they didn’t go outside due to bad weather. Dylan is a
super cute little kid. During the observation, Dylan demonstrated communicating his needs. For
example, he said “Get off there guy!” when his friend was sitting on the blanket which was to be
the roof of the fort. Mrs. Smitt said “I noticed you started to yell, but then your voice got softer,
good using your words”. Dylan was also able to express his emotions. He said “Guys, you
making me angry”. After this, there was some conflict as Dylan only wanted some children to
enter the fort, and not others. When the EA said “What do we need to do Dylan?”, Dylan
responded by saying “(My friend can come in, but only you because he (referring to another peer
), keeps wrecking it all day long.” This is pretty normal for Dylan, he can be a good leader . Mrs.
Smitt said, "You know what, we need to figure out a way to stabilize this”. Dylan responded by
saying “can someone build this”, while holding up a corner of the blanket up and over to Mrs.
Smitt to put the roof on together. He invited only his friend to come into the fort again. When
his peerl responded by saying “but not me?”, Dylan said “, you can come in too.”. Michael said
“Anyone can come in?” Dylan said “Yes”. The children were given tape and scissors to secure
the blanket roof. When Mrs. Smitt asked Dylan what was his idea for the tape, he responded,
"Tape it on". One of the children used scissors to cut the tape, while Dylan held it. Dylan took
the cut tape and stuck the blanket roof to the fort. When Mrs. Smitt reported that the fort roof
collapsed slightly, Dylan said “That’s okay!”. Mrs. Smitt asked if the fort was ready to go in, as
Taj was really anxious to get in. Dylan responded “Well, not yet” and skipped away to fix
another part of the roof. Dylan and his friend continued to work on the fort, cutting and taping
the blankets to the structure. Dylan asked Mrs. Smitt “you cut this?”. Mrs. Smitt responded that
his friend has scissors. Dylan showed his friend where to cut and said “Cut it right there.”.
Dylan and his friend continued to cut and tape together. When the tape got twisted, Dylan
screamed and forcefully pulled at the tape. Mrs. Smitt said “Okay, settle down, I know it’s
frustrating. How can we help you?”. Dylan pointed at the fort and yelled loudly. Mrs. Smitt said
“His friend has some scissors here. You know what, it is tricky with tape, sometimes it gets
twisted. Dylan worked alone for approximately 10 seconds, then continued to work away at
constructing the fort with his classmates. His friend used the scissors instead of Dyl.

Summary/Analysis. When faced with a challenge, Dylan is a problem solver with leadership
capabilities. But in order to control his emotions and engage in prosocial activities, he needs to
develop self-regulation abilities.
 Reference

Mactaggart, J. (2023) Module 4, [PowerPoint slides] Slate, Retrieved from Module 4 PPT -
EDUC27370 Assessment in Education (sheridancollege.ca)

Mactaggart, J.(2023) Module 6, [PowerPoint slides] Slate, Retrieved from Module 6 PPT Part 1
EDUC27370 Assessment in Education (sheridancollege.ca)