Keeping records

From my own experience, having an efficient system for keeping quality records about your students is a crucial part of teaching and learning. This is not only because it is necessary to have some basis for the grades you give and things you say about students come report time, nor is it just because it could be necessary as evidence in case of an audit or because it is our legal responsibility, although all of these are true. It is important because the gathering of information and data on students should contribute to shaping the teaching and learning as it progresses. Churchill (2021, p. 422) breaks down record keeping into two types: “formal records” and “anecdotal records”. Formal records are the lists of marks, grades and comments that will directly contribute to the students’ summative assessment whereas anecdotal records are the notes and observations that teachers collect to shape their future planning (Churchill, 2021). Confidentiality is central to record keeping, as breaches in confidentiality can be harmful to students and can also harm their trust in the teacher and the school.

There is no indication in my original unit plan as to how records will be kept. My general approach to keeping records is to use an online spreadsheet that only I can access, where I can record students’ effort in class, their grades and any additional comments. On critical reflection I think a useful addition to these records would be an anecdotal recording sheet where I can take more general notes on how each class went from a teaching and learning perspective, to track the improvements I could make to my planning and teaching in the future. As Ash and Clayton (2009) outline, critical reflection is essential not only for students but for teachers too, as teachers are themselves learners.