ABSTRACT
Assessment is a tool for teachers, to be used for the benefit of students. This chapter provides an overview of issues associated with observation and assessment, and suggests that ways in which teacher observation might be improved and extended. The issues to be addressed are that: observation is a natural process; observation is a central teaching skill; observation is more than looking; observation should be purposeful; whether all see the same things; the more student look, the more student see. Strategies in observation can be described along a continuum from open, unstructured situations where there is no clear purpose, to highly structured, systematic observation-procedures where clear and specific criteria are identified to base the observation upon. If the focus is one child, develop strategies to reduce their anxiety or ensure that he/she remains unaware that they are the focus of attention.
