Collecting specific, actionable observations and communicating them to the teacher in useful form.
At a glance
When: A teacher asks for your read so they can act on it.
Remember: You're the eyes closest to the student — vague recall wastes that; specifics make it teachable.
What strong practice looks like — and why.
The scenario you saw
A student had a difficult week with assignments. At the end of the day, the teacher asks you to summarize how the student did. What do you do?
Before you read on — what would you do here? Picture your move, then reveal how strong practice handles it.
You give the teacher what they need to act — specific moments, what seemed to help or hurt, and your honest read of what's going on — not just a general update.
Why this works
The teacher is asking so they can do something, so a general 'it was a rough week' doesn't help — what does is specifics they can act on: which moments, what seemed to help or hurt, and your honest read of what's going on. You're the eyes closest to the student, so your report is most of the raw data the teacher has to work with. Vague recall wastes that; concrete examples and patterns turn it into something teachable.
What to look for
Recall is where it sticks — a few quick scenarios.
Reading is useful, but recall is where it sticks. Three short scenarios, low-stakes, no scoring — about 3 minutes. You can stop any time.
Start the practice set →Short on time? Start with the first one.
In-depth guides written specifically for paraprofessionals — no login required.
IRIS Center (Vanderbilt)
IRIS Center module page on frequency, interval, and duration recording with operational definitions.