We’re making student data tracking too complicated.

[@katharinasagr7562]

Your Student Data Organization video was incredibly insightful! As someone who is new to teaching younger children, this method is going to be a game-changer for me. I appreciate how clearly you explained everything. Looking forward to more of your amazing content!

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Oh my goodness you are too kind! When I moved from teaching middle school to 2nd grade I had a much harder time tracking all the student benchmarks as many of them were demonstrated in group work or through discussions. Let me know how the system works for you - I’m always looking for improvements! ☺️

[@mrsbongiovanni3106]

This is genius! Love the Standards based tracking guide, two simple folders and sticky notes! 📝 Wonderful!

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Thank you so much! I love anything that can be stuffed into a folder and dealt with later. 😆

[@gibsonedu]

Really great production quality on your videos Mariel!

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Thank you so much! Your comment means a lot to me. I've been watching you and Sam since the first day of distance learning! 😊

[@gibsonedu]

@@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher Right on! Yeah your video popped up in my home feed and I was like 'man, that's a way better thumbnail than most teacher KZbinrs!' Keep it up!

[@aracelylee346]

This is so incredibly simple and helpful. So happy to find you ❤

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Oh I’m so glad you found it useful! Thanks for watching and for your kind comment. I really appreciate it! 🥰

[@StarlessTerrace]

Question: Where do you keep the sticky notes before they make it to the student file? How do you ensure that they don't get lost/damaged/ destroyed before they make it to the student file?

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Oh that’s a fantastic question! So I actually teach with a clipboard that moves around with me. It has my lesson plans on it and any important notes I need to remember. I usually just put the sticky notes on a piece of paper on the clipboard. It’s hidden under my plans so students can’t see it. I’ve also just stuck them in my teacher’s manuals while I was teaching and then put them in the student folders at the end of the week. Basically I “hide” them in my teaching materials for the day.

[@StarlessTerrace]

@@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! I appreciate how practical your solutions are.

[@debbenning9381]

Great tips, thank you!

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Glad it was helpful!

[@StarlessTerrace]

Do you have any suggestions for taking notes on student work during whole group work time?

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

One way I’ve done it in the past is to have a class roster printed out in front of me. While I’m teaching I might jot down super quick notes after each name. For example, a plus mark means they answered a question or were able to demonstrate understanding. A check mark means they participated and maybe asked a question. And a minus symbol means they either didn’t participate or struggled and needed a lot of assistance. I’m not sure if that answered your question, so feel free to reply again if you had a different scenario in mind. I’d be happy to help or ask a colleague for their method! ☺️

[@StarlessTerrace]

@@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher That makes sense. I had been using a grade sheet that had all of my students names on it and a small grid next to the names. But the issue I was running into was there really wasn't enough space to write notes. There was enough space to do a small symbol [such as a check mark or letter] but that's about it.

[@Karen3263]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@karstews431]

I use Brightspace for my portfolios (so it's digital). How much of a paper trail do we really need? I'm not at all a fan of having a mark book for primary kids but is this system enough? Is my system which is pretty much the same as yours but a digital paper hybrid approach enough? And what do we do with the portfolios after the year is finished? Still struggling with data-driven assessment even after 20 years plus of teaching in Ontario Canada.

[@TheTimeCrunchedTeacher]

Oh great questions! I actually like to start with the report card and work backwards. I want to make sure I have enough work samples and data to make an informed decision about a student’s grade. We also do a lot of standardized state testing in my district so we have quite a bit of data from that as well. As for end of year portfolios, I always offer them to the next year’s teacher on the off chance that they want to see work samples for their incoming students. Most take me up on the offer. Hope that helps! And thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. 🥰