Case notes are the chronological record of interactions, observations and actions involving a specific person. Good case notes employ strategic, insightful reflections and an understanding of larger processes. When well written, case notes provide accurate, objective descriptions grounded in fact and evidence. They also offer a thoughtful balance between assessments and opinions.

When we think of case notes we usually think about the work of social workers, care workers, medical providers and people providing legal services. Often case notes in these contexts are bound by professional conventions and legal requirements.

Adult educators’ case notes are not the same as those kept by social workers, psychotherapists, lawyers and insurance adjusters to record every interaction with their clients. For social workers, case notes are a legal record of interactions with a person or family, or of a situation that is being closely monitored. For counsellors and psychotherapists, although case notes are confidential, they can be subpoenaed for legal proceedings.

In adult education, case notes are a way to record what an instructor or program worker wants to remember, or to share, about particular students. These could be notes to ourselves or to co-workers.

As adult educators, our focus is on teaching and learning. We all know that people’s self-esteem, their emotional states and their life circumstances have huge impact on their ability to concentrate and to learn. And many of us have had the experience of learners disclosing extremely personal details about their lives. However, those details do not belong in case notes.

Social workers and counsellors have ongoing training about the legal implications of the kinds of information included in their case notes. LBS staff have no such luxury. In theory, our case notes could become part of a court case. For this reason, adult educators do not include anything disclosed to them confidentially – they focus only on their observations about what works in the teaching relationship.

In light of these criteria, it is apparent that writing case notes well is not an easy task. What information needs to be recorded? What information should be recorded? How can case notes effectively remain objective while emphasizing important details?