Observation, Screening, Assessment, and Documentation:

Pause for Inspiration

Breadcrumb trail:

Find inspiration, joy, and creativity in everyday things.

Do you find that you often consider your needs last, or not at all? Maybe this happens because you don't have time, you're just too tired at the end of a busy day or week, or you haven't really thought about how you might relax? We all need to find ways to energize and renew ourselves in order to stay with the demanding work of early care and education. Only when we truly care for ourselves and stimulate our creativity, can we fully care for and stimulate others. CompSAT offers tools and surprises that will help you on your path to renewal and reinvigoration.

A teacher observes a young boy stacking toy rocks.
A girl holding a butterfly in her hand.
"We want to know what the children think, feel, and wonder. We believe that the children will have things to tell each other and us that we have never heard before. We are always listening for a surprise and the birth of a new idea. This practice supports a… searching together for new meaning. Together, we become a community of seekers."

— Louise Boyd Cadwell (2003)

Try This!

  • Listen carefully to children's ideas and questions.
  • Be inspired by their curiosity and fresh view of the world.

There are no templates for the Pause for Inspiration Key. This is a place to take a moment for yourself.

Deepen Your Understanding

California Early Childhood Educator Competencies

Deepen your understanding of the Dispositions for the Competency: Observation, Screening, Assessment, and Documentation in the CA ECE Competencies. Scroll to page 51.

What other sources of inspiration are meaningful to you?

Download the California ECE Competencies

California Early Childhood Educator Competencies