Reading Chapters 5 and 10 of "Catching Readers" got me thinking a lot about the importance of chart keeping and organization as a teacher. When you are becoming a teacher, organization and chart keeping becomes not only a daily occurrence, but a way of life! Charts become everything!
Last week I accidentally read the wrong reading for M301 (oops.. I read Chapters 1 and 2 of the CAFE book... but I might as well use my accidental knowledge now!) and what I read was also all about charts and the importance of keeping records. I think the reading in Chapters 5 and 10 coincides with this accidental CAFE reading. So many benefits come out of chart keeping. With keeping a running record of when you have met for a conference with a student will keep students from falling between the cracks and keep you on task of knowing who you need to confer with next. That is just one of the many reasons why you need to keep records!
Records and charts can also be a concrete proof of growth in a student. As much as you think you cam remember how much a student has grown from the first day of school, there are many details that you will simply forget if not written down. This helps you as a teacher analyze your teaching and what to do next with this student.
Keeping charts will keep teachers on their toes. There will be no scrambling around for ideas of what to teach a student in a one on one conference, because you will have the notes right there with you! You will know exactly what that student has accomplished in the past, as well as what that student needs to work on.
I think chart keeping will be a big change for me as a person. I am not one to write everything down (which I know I really should try to be a person like that). But, when I teach, I want to change myself into one of those people who always has their planner (or charts in this case) on them at all times! I want to be extremely organized in my classroom and this means having a multitude of running records on everything that goes on in the classroom. I want to also be an avid note taker, because I know in the long run it will help. I way to often think of something really great and forget it later because I never wrote it down! So, for the benefit of my students, I am going to start to make the gradual change to a really great chart keeper!
Lately, I've seen a lot of teachers using IPads as a means of chart keeping! So nice to not have to shuffle so many papers! Daily 5 and Café have come out with an online pensive that has all the papers for each child stored right in your IPad...pretty slick!
ReplyDeleteHey!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that your accidental reading was about the same thing! But I definitely agree with you that teachers need to be very well organized and keep charts and records to more easily keep track of things and to be prepared for anything that comes their way. Staying organized makes things so much easier! I am like you, though, in that I need to become more organized because right now I am only about 50 percent of the time. When I am everything seems to run a lot smoother so I want to make sure to stay organized when I am a teacher.