Double Entry #10

Why is kid watching a critical practice for teacher to use? 
 To become an effective teacher you must know how to motivate your students to take part in the learning environment.  Your students are not little machines or robots that you can just give information to and expect them to memorize and know it.  They must have their interest sparked and their minds focused.  To do this you have to understand and know your students.  By kid watching you can listen and see what kinds of things your students talk about during class to their friends, they will probably not be talking about the assignment you have for them, they are more likely to be talking about their day and what they plan on doing after they go home.  These can be important clues to connect their home interest to the classroom, sparking motivation and likely hood that the students will be engaged in the assignments you are giving them. 

How is kid watching informed by cultural difference theory?
By kid watching you can see how each of your students vary in their cultural backgrounds and better understanding what kinds of levels they are on.  By observing them on more personal level you can open their virtual backpacks to see what kinds of 'funds of knowledge' they are bringing with them to the classroom.  These opportunities can allow you to better create and accommodate your lesson plans to best fit their needs and pace of learning.  This in turn can do a multitude of things such as create a closer classroom community, cut down on behavioral problems and focus more on the tasks of learning.