Embedded Files
Do you have a class that you just don’t get? Are you having problems figuring out what is going on with “those girls” or why some students just aren’t great during group work? Look at the forest through the trees! Use this tracker designed by grads to help track “soft skills” and other social factors.
Do you have a class that you just don’t get? Are you having problems figuring out what is going on with “those girls” or why some students just aren’t great during group work? Look at the forest through the trees! Use this tracker designed by grads to help track “soft skills” and other social factors.
This tracker was developed by two middle school teachers who have expertise in seeing social dynamics, but could not access their knowledge systematically because it was only in their heads. After developing a tracker to capture their observations, one of the teachers noticed that with the 14 minutes it took for her to enter one class’s data, she was able to make better decisions around …
- advocating class switches for individual students,
- changing seating charts,
- planning her purpose for circulation more clearly and
- planning differently for specific classes.
Even this teacher, who thought she knew her students, saw 8C differently with this dashboard and was able to adjust. “Now I’ve changed my planning...I don’t stress anymore.” Did we mention that seeing the patterns also makes the data fun?!
This is a tracker to use any time you want to get a targeted “read” on your class. Don’t waste time complaining about that class after lunch; instead become a detective! Collect and analyze data, and take action.
- Make a copy of the tracker. Reference the “how to” tab for tips on editing.
- Look at the categories and dropdown options. Keep the ones that will be useful for you, create new categories for your purpose, and delete irrelevant ones.
- Enter your class list; add a new tab for each class that you want to study.
- Collaborate with a coach (request a coach to do a social observation before you enter data). This can help if you want to get a second pair of eyes on those dynamics. Go to “Ask a Coach” on the website.
- Collaborate with another adult in your room. Have a para, co-teacher, City Year volunteer or Resident? Sit together to enter data on how your students present in your class.
- Collaborate with a team teacher. Each of you enter data and then compare and contrast. This will help your team advocate for class changes or share strategies across content.
- Change your Class Dynamic Dashboard as needed! Update 3-4 times a year and/or when you notice social changes.
Reflect - After you make changes based on your data (and given time for those changes to become comfortable for students), assess whether the changes are helping to meet your goal and adjust.
Thank you to Kelsey McChane and Addis Summerhill
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