Weekly Field Note Template
A repeatable structure for recording each session clearly, protecting privacy, and carrying one useful question into the following week.
Use this structure after each session. A short, specific entry is more useful than a polished story written from memory weeks later.
1. Context
Record the date, your role, the type of activity, and only the non-identifying context needed to understand the note.
2. What happened
Describe one concrete moment. Separate what you directly saw or heard from what you think it might mean.
3. What I did
Explain your action and why you chose it. Note whose guidance you followed.
4. What I am unsure about
Name the question, assumption, or limit that remains.
5. What I learned
Connect the moment to guidance, reading, or an earlier field note. Add sources when relevant.
6. Next step
Choose one realistic action for the next session.
Privacy check before publishing
- Remove names and identifying details.
- Do not include a child’s face without explicit, informed permission.
- Avoid diagnoses or conclusions outside your role.
- Ask whether the entry preserves the child’s dignity.
- Mark the file
draft: trueif any detail needs review.