Documentation

At Stretch, we place a strong emphasis on the importance of giving our teachers time outside of their class hours to work in partnership with their teaching teams. During this time, our teachers discuss and contribute new ideas to project work, reflect on their days with the children, problem solve, and share documentation among other things.

Documentation can be presented through a variety of different media, some of which include: photography, recordings, quotes, and drawings. There are three audiences for the documentation that our educators create. The format the documentation takes is influenced by whether its intended audience is parents, educators, or students. For example, if intended for the children it will be placed at their height in the classroom. If intended for adults, it may come in the format of a weekly reflection journal sent home via email.

Documentation is a source of energy for both teachers and children, as it helps move project work forward and shows that the child’s words and ideas are valued.

The many observations and conversations that the teachers document are discussed and analyzed during the teams’ collaboration hours. They are then given back to the community in a variety of ways. Students might work in small groups to look more deeply at photos from the days prior and use them as a jumping off point for further learning. Their work, photos and conversations may be displayed on classroom walls as evidence of their process within the project work.

Documentation is a source of energy for both teachers and children as it helps move project work forward and shows that the child’s words and ideas are important and valued in this community. Documentation is always a valued resource for further learning for our educators, parents and children alike.