I’m gonna make this one short and sweet. I’m battling a cold and I refuse to lose…which means lots of hot tea and rest!
Traci over at Dragonflies in First is hosting a Linky where you share the best advice you’ve ever received. What a great idea right?
I am lucky enough to still work closely with my mentor teacher. She is the Basic Skills instructor at our school, a position she happily took after teaching 3rd Grade for many years. She is an incredibly gifted educator and always has the BEST ADVICE EVER. Seriously, I can feel like my world is ending, and in one sentence she makes it better. I am so lucky to have her just down the hall.
The best advice she gave me was during my first year of teaching. Probably my first month of my first year teaching.
You’ve probably heard it before…
Document Everything.
Everything.
I document when I talk to a parent. Behavior. Signs of Neglect {unfortunately} Successful/Unsuccessful Interventions. Who can sit next to each other. And who definitely can not.
I recently had a revelation in how I document. I saw a pin or a post {can’t remember} that suggested using Post-Its to document information. You write info on a Post-It and then move the Post-It to the student’s folder when it’s full. I liked it but it seemed like I’d be going through a lot of Post-It’s.
So I came up with this little guy:
First off, this is obviously not my real sheet. I can see just a few confidentiality issues with showcasing the real deal ;)
I keep this this sheet on a clipboard in a secret spot near my desk. I like it because I can glance at recent notes/documentation without constantly pulling out a student folder. I’m too busy for that!!!
I use sheets like this separately for different subjects like math and reading. It’s important to document that stuff too.
12/14…#6: Difficulty counting coins above $1.00
2/11…#19: Not stopping at end marks
Get it? Simple right?
So, my best advice is document everything {in an easy for you way}! Go link up and share your advice, or read the advice other teachers have to offer.
Have a good night!
Halle
WOW...so useful! THANKS for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThat's good advice. I always have a stack of notes and papers to put into student folders- I like the idea of a chart much better.
ReplyDelete-Maria
Everyone deServes to Learn
That is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete:)Kim
I love this idea! I would be in post it overload with some of my friends. This is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteBrandi
Success in Second Grade
Halle this is great! I like the grid you use. Simple, clear and perfect. Thanks for linking up!
ReplyDeleteSo simple and easy. Thanks for sharing! What I've done in the past was just to get an index card for each student and put the names at the bottom (covering the rest with the one on top of it), but I like the idea of keeping notes for reading/ math/ other separately! :)
ReplyDeleteJenny
Luckeyfrog's Lilypad