Note Taking Reflection

My note taking strategies.

I think my note taking strategies are pretty effective. I try to write most of what I see going on, in terms of body language and dialogue. The tough part for me is the angle. Sometimes I have to sit in whatever chair is available and it may not necessarily be the most effective spot to sit duet ot he fact that it can be difficult seeing facial expressions of students.

I guess I am satisfied in my note taking skills however one problem that I have is that I try to type everything that I am noticing during the session. Bouncing back between body language, sighs and dialogue is challenging. I sometimes end sentences with “…..” because I am not able to type what is being said word for word, which is okay because I usually understand the topic of conversation and can identify patterns after I revisit my writing which brings me to the topic of revisiting my work.

When I revisit the notes that I wrote, I try to color code, elaborate on certain parts of the session that I found interesting or important but was not able to fully talk about during my note taking session. In addition, I may color code and identify patterns. I may break up my sections according to the patterns that I noticed such as a shift in body language or every time the student would nod and agree with the tutor and then write something down.

I also like to make note of times. During my typing I try to look at the time as often as I can so that I have an idea of what happens every ten to fifteen minutes.

Sometimes I get tired of typing and just sit back and observe, making small notations in my document. I usually highlight it in a different color on order to remind myself to revisit the section.