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The following account comes from a veteran HS teacher who just became a Coach in her building. Because her experience is so vivid and sobering I have kept her identity anonymous. But nothing she describes is any different than my own experience in sitting in HS classes for long periods of time. And this report of course accords fully with the results of our student surveys. I have made a terrible mistake.
I waited fourteen years to do something that I should have done my first year of teaching: shadow a student for a day. It was so eye-opening that I wish I could go back to every class of students I ever had right now and change a minimum of ten things - the layout, the lesson plan, the checks for understanding. Most of it!

This is the first year I am working in a school but not teaching my own classes; I am the High School Learning Coach, a new position for the school this year. My job is to work with teachers and admins. to improve student learning outcomes.

As part of getting my feet wet, my principal suggested I "be" a student for two days: I was to shadow and complete all the work of a 10 th grade student on one day and to do the same for a 12 th grade student on another day. My task was to do everything the student was supposed to do: if there was lecture or notes on the board, I copied them as fast I could into my notebook. If there was a Chemistry lab, I did it with my host student. If there was a test, I took it (I passed the Spanish one, but I am certain I failed the business one).

My class schedules for the day
(Note: we have a block schedule; not all classes meet each day):

The schedule that day for the 10 th grade student:

7:45 - 9:15: Geometry

9:30 - 10:55: Spanish II

10:55 - 11:40: Lunch

11:45 - 1:10: World History

1:25 - 2:45: Integrated Science

The schedule that day for the 12 th grade student:

7:45 - 9:15: Math

9:30 - 10:55: Chemistry

10:55 - 11:40: Lunch

11:45 - 1:10: English

1:25 - 2:45: Business
Key Takeaway #1 Students sit all day, and sitting is exhausting.
I could not believe how tired I was after the first day. I literally sat down the entire day, except for walking to and from classes. We forget as teachers, because we are on our feet a lot - in front of the board, pacing as we speak, circling around the room to check on student work, sitting, standing, kneeling down to chat with a student as she works through a difficult problem...we move a lot.

But students move almost never. And never is exhausting. In every class for four long blocks, the expectation was for us to come in, take our seats, and sit down for the duration of the time. By the end of the day, I could not stop yawning and I was desperate to move or stretch. I couldn't believe how alert my host student was, because it took a lot of conscious effort for me not to get up and start doing jumping jacks in the middle of Science just to keep my mind and body from slipping into oblivion after so many hours of sitting passively.

I was drained, and not in a good, long, productive-day kind of way. No, it was that icky, lethargic tired feeling. I had planned to go back to my office and jot down some initial notes on the day, but I was so drained I couldn't do anything that involved mental effort (so instead I watched TV) and I was in bed by 8:30.

If I could go back and change my classes now, I would immediately change the following three things:

mandatory stretch halfway through the class

put a Nerf basketball hoop on the back of my door and encourage kids to play in the first and final minutes of class

build in a hands-on, move-around activity into every single class day. Yes, we would sacrifice some content to do this - that's fine. I was so tired by the end of the day, I wasn't absorbing most of the content, so I am not sure my previous method of making kids sit through hour-long, sit-down discussions of the texts was all that effective.

Key Takeaway #2 High School students are sitting passively and listening during approximately 90% of their classes.
Obviously I was only shadowing for two days, but in follow-up interviews with both of my host students, they assured me that the classes I experienced were fairly typical.

In eight periods of high school classes, my host students rarely spoke. Sometimes it was because the teacher was lecturing; sometimes it was because another student was presenting; sometimes it was because another student was called to the board to solve a difficult equation; and sometimes it was because the period was spent taking a test. So, I don't mean to imply critically that only the teachers droned on while students just sat and took notes. But still, hand in hand with takeaway #1 is this idea that most of the students' day was spent passively absorbing information.

It was not just the sitting that was draining but that so much of the day was spent absorbing information but not often grappling with it.

I asked my tenth-grade host, Cindy, if she felt like she made important contributions to class or if, when she was absent, the class missed out on the benefit of her knowledge or contributions, and she laughed and said no.

I was struck by this takeaway in particular because it made me realize how little autonomy students have, how little of their learning they are directing or choosing. I felt especially bad about opportunities I had missed in the past in this regard.

If I could go back and change my classes now, I would immediately:

Offer brief, blitzkrieg-like mini-lessons with engaging, assessment-for-learning-type activities following directly on their heels (e.g. a ten-minute lecture on Whitman's life and poetry, followed by small-group work in which teams scour new poems of his for the very themes and notions expressed in the lecture, and then share out or perform some of them to the whole group while everyone takes notes on the findings.)

set an egg timer every time I get up to talk and all eyes are on me. When the timer goes off, I am done. End of story. I can go on and on. I love to hear myself talk. I often cannot shut up. This is not really conducive to my students' learning, however much I might enjoy it.

Ask every class to start with students' Essential Questions or just general questions born of confusion from the previous night's reading or the previous class's discussion. I would ask them to come in to class and write them all on the board, and then, as a group, ask them to choose which one we start with and which ones need to be addressed. This is my biggest regret right now - not starting every class this way. I am imagining all the misunderstandings, the engagement, the enthusiasm, the collaborative skills, and the autonomy we missed out on because I didn't begin every class with fifteen or twenty minutes of this.

Key takeaway #3 You feel a little bit like a nuisance all day long.
I lost count of how many times we were told be quiet and pay attention. It's normal to do so - teachers have a set amount of time and we need to use it wisely. But in shadowing, throughout the day, you start to feel sorry for the students who are told over and over again to pay attention because you understand part of what they are reacting to is sitting and listening all day. It's really hard to do, and not something we ask adults to do day in and out. Think back to a multi-day conference or long PD day you had and remember that feeling by the end of the day - that need to just disconnect, break free, go for a run, chat with a friend, or surf the web and catch up on emails. That is how students often feel in our classes, not because we are boring per se but because they have been sitting and listening most of the day already. They have had enough.

In addition, there was a good deal of sarcasm and snark directed at students and I recognized, uncomfortably, how much I myself have engaged in this kind of communication. I would become near apoplectic last year whenever a very challenging class of mine would take a test, and without fail, several students in a row would ask the same question about the test. Each time I would stop the class and address it so everyone could hear it. Nevertheless, a few minutes later a student who had clearly been working his way through the test and not attentive to my announcement would ask the same question again. A few students would laugh along as I made a big show of rolling my eyes and drily stating, "OK, once again, let me explain..."

Of course it feels ridiculous to have to explain the same thing five times, but suddenly, when I was the one taking the tests, I was stressed. I was anxious. I had questions. And if the person teaching answered those questions by rolling their eyes at me, I would never want to ask another question again. I feel a great deal more empathy for students after shadowing, and I realize that sarcasm, impatience, and annoyance are a way of creating a barrier between me and them. They do not help learning.

If I could go back and change my classes now, I would immediately:

Dig deep into my personal experience as a parent where I found wells of patience and love I never knew I have, and call upon them more often when dealing with students who have questions. Questions are an invitation to know a student better and create a bond with that student. We can open the door wider or shut if forever, and we may not even realize we have shut it.

I would make my personal goal of "no sarcasm" public and ask the students to hold me accountable for it. I could drop money into a jar for each slip and use it to treat the kids to pizza at the end of the year. In this way, I have both helped create a closer bond with them and shared a very real and personal example of goal-setting for them to use a model in their own thinking about goals.

I would structure every test or formal activity like the IB exams do - a five-minute reading period in which students can ask all their questions but no one can write until the reading period is finished. This is a simple solution I probably should have tried years ago that would head off a lot (thought, admittedly, not all) of the frustration I felt with constant, repetitive questions.

I have a lot more respect and empathy for students after just one day of being one again. Teachers work hard, but I now think that conscientious students work harder. I worry about the messages we send them as they go to our classes and home to do our assigned work, and my hope is that more teachers who are able will try this shadowing and share their findings with each other and their administrations. This could lead to better "backwards design" from the student experience so that we have more engaged, alert, and balanced students sitting (or standing) in our classes.
Wow. The response to this post has been overwhelming - over 150,000 page hits so far - and over 800 emails to me requesting further info.
So, instead of replying by email, my response and resources I promised can now be found below:
AE Student Survey 2014-15 AE Shadow Student Survey Letter 2014

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A veteran teacher turned coach shadows 2 students for 2 days - a sobering lesson learned

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The following account comes from a veteran HS teacher who just became a Coach in her building. Because her experience is so vivid and sobering I have kept her identity anonymous. But nothing she describes is any different than my own experience in sitting in HS classes for long periods of time.

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Article for Engaging All Learner Who Challenge You

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Article for Engaging All Learner Who Challenge You

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Educational Leadership_Students Who Challenge Us_Practices to Engage All Learners

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Dr. Tate

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Great for for any grade level!

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How does Ms. Wessling make this game a low-stakes activity?

2. How does this game promote active listening and participation?

3. Ms. Wessling says she often uses this game for her early morning classes. When might you use this game in your own classroom?

Teachers

English Language Arts / 10 11 12 / Teacher

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Sarah Brown Wessling uses the stand-up game to encourage active participation. She asks all the students in her classroom to stand up. They are only allowed to sit down once they have participated in the discussion or share out. Sarah says this game is great for engaging tired students.

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First Five Minutes/Last Five Minutes: Management in the Active Classroom

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The beginning and end of every instructional period are critical instructional opportunities

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Classroom Protocols in Action: Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face

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This video shows primary students using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol as a simple and fun way for all students to get a chance to move, think, talk, and learn from others. The teacher first has students model: stand back-to-back with a partner, listen to the question and think, turn face-to-face, taking turns speaking and listening, then turning back-to-back. The class next practices with an easy question from personal experience, then with one that is text-based. This video is narrated by students, and can be shown to students to help them learn this simple routine for productive conversations.

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Creating Class Norms- Share before every class

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Creating Class Norms- Share before every class

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Creating Class Norms: Management in the Active Classroom

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Tapping into the hopes and dreams of your class provides guidance for the norms you'll live by all year.

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There's a simple way to connect with a challenging student, according to " The Two-Minute Relationship Builder" from Education Update. Spend two minutes a day for 10 days having a personal conversation with the student. Talk about whatever topic interests him-sports, cars, family life, Legos, whatever-but keep discipline and academics off the table.

Lisa Kitzmann, a 3rd grade teacher in California, tried the strategy several times over the course of a year, and the results were surprising. As she developed a personal connection with the students she targeted, their behavior in the classroom improved-and so did her outlook.

"When you become closer with [children] who used to drive you absolutely crazy and you begin to understand why they're acting the way they are, your attitude changes," says Kitzmann.

The Two-by-Ten strategy is more than an icebreaker; it's a trust-building exercise that goes both ways. At first, it can be difficult to break through, Kitzmann admits, especially when students affect the mood of the classroom or interrupt the learning that's taking place. But by taking the time to really get to know the students, you can begin to uncover the reasons behind their misbehavior.

"Most often it is because [children] lack a sense of trust and respect for the adults who are supposed to be their role models or because they lack structure, routine, and discipline at home," says Kitzmann. "We often forget that children need just as much respect as adults do-and they are taught by actions."

By practicing Two-by-Ten, Kitzmann had the extra push to give her most disruptive students structured one-on-one time, and they responded by opening up to her on a whole new level. "When a child told me that he had to meet his dad at the police station for weekend visitation exchanges so his parents wouldn't fight, it made me much more understanding of his situation," she says. "He was dealing with grown-up issues and circumstances that were beyond his control. My sense of patience and self-motivation to instill safety for him in the classroom became more important than reaching him academically. The child had more to deal with than learning to write a complete sentence and not being disruptive. The only world he knows outside the classroom is a disruptive one."

As Kitzmann emphasized in her article in Education Update, "you begin to see the child in a different light" when you initiate conversations that go beyond "how are you today, nice to see you."

"Deeper conversations lead to a compassion that only comes when you invest your time, listening ears, and an open heart," says Kitzmann. "The difference is learning about what's in the inside of a child's heart and head-not just focusing on the external casual talk that seems easy. [Children] know when you truly take those extra minutes to talk about their feelings on a personal level."

For Kitzmann, Two-by-Ten wasn't the answer to classroom misbehavior, but it was a start.

Learn the dos and don'ts of the Two-by-Ten strategy in "The Two-Minute Relationship Builder," from Education Update.

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Two Minutes to Better Student Behavior - ASCD Inservice

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There's a simple way to connect with a challenging student, according to "The Two-Minute Relationship Builder" from Education Update. Spend two minutes a day for 10 days having a personal conversation with the student. Talk about whatever topic interests him-sports, cars, family life, Legos, whatever-but keep discipline and academics off the table.

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https://instagram.com/p/BZn6ZNOjngF/https://instagram.com/p/BZn6ZNOjngF/

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https://youtu.be/T5RRRiHUbfohttps://youtu.be/T5RRRiHUbfo

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6th Grade Mrs. Feldman

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Participation Sticks for Managing Behavior

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Participation Sticks for Managing Behavior

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Simple Strategies to be Used All the Time

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Simple Strategies to be Used All the Time

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

1. How do students react when Ms. V redirects them with a whisper?

2. Do you see a difference when she tries positive narration?

3. What advice would you give Ms. V to continue improving her practice?

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New Teacher Survival Guide: Classroom Management

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Ms. Vreeland is a new teacher working to improve the management of her classroom. She shares a video of her class with management expert Jackie Ancess. Mrs. V takes what she's learned and tries it out in her class. Watch the before and after.

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Transitioning into Groups and Avoiding Disruption 

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Transitioning into Groups and Avoiding Disruption 

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Giving Clear Directions: Management in the Active Classroom

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Delivering clear directions allows students to follow with accuracy and focus.

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As the school year progressed, my interactions with my students changed. I became more comfortable with demonstrating my love and respect for them, and my classroom management strategies became centered on compassion instead of consequences. When my students could see that I cared about their lives and well-being, they were better able to trust me. And that meant I could request more of them, and expect more in return.

All of the pre-service pedagogy and theory I had learned about wrangling a class of twenty-three 14-year-olds for 90 minutes became infinitely more applicable once my students knew I had compassion for them. Here are some things I learned that first year.

Show You Care

I began teaching under the incorrect assumption that my students would somehow naturally know that I cared deeply about their success and livelihood. Many students, especially ones who are prone to behavioral issues, expect the exact opposite from teachers, and it's important to establish that you're different from their expectations.

The simplest way to demonstrate to your students you care and have compassion for them is to tell them often and in different ways. Genuine praise for tasks, asking questions about their day, and sharing with them tidbits from your life are excellent ways to show students you care.

Another way to do this is by attending extracurricular events when your students are involved. Making the effort to support your students in a non-classroom environment can be extraordinarily meaningful.

Assume Students' Lives Are Complicated

When a student acts out, it's often a reflection of problems in their lives outside of the classroom. It's key to be compassionate to these students as they learn to face tumultuous issues in their everyday life.

Teachers can show compassion by avoiding classroom management techniques that humiliate students or force them to address their behavior in a public setting. Speak to students in private, and always ask them how things are going.

Behavioral issues in the classroom should cause teachers concern for their students' well-being, and we should work to understand what's going on in their lives. Even as adults, when we have disruptive life events it's challenging to maintain a cheerful attitude at all times.

Each Day Is a Clean Slate

Forgiveness is critical to classroom management through compassion. If a student feels as though they're constantly reminded of their past errors, they'll feel as though they are permanently labeled a "bad kid."

When we forgive students for making mistakes, realizing that there are many factors in their lives that lie outside the school, we can make each day a little better than the one before.

And holding grudges against students who have made poor or hurtful decisions is tiring and wastes time. For the sake of your own happiness, it's crucial to forgive and forget student behavioral issues.

The Difference Between Compassion and Friendship

Demonstrating compassion for your students is not the same as wanting your students to like you. Many new teachers fall into the trap of desiring their students' approval, especially when teaching older students who are close to the teacher in age, but that can lead to a lack of mutual respect.

To show compassion to students is to take the time and effort to understand their perspective, while continuing to make choices that are best for their learning experience. Showing compassion does not mean you're a student's friend-it means you care about their progress and are invested in their future.

By itself, compassion is an important life skill. As a part of classroom management, compassion can enhance the effectiveness of any strategies you would normally put in place. Compassion gives students an opportunity to trust your choices and have faith in the requests you make of them. Classroom management procedures and explicit instruction are important, but students who know you're invested in them are more inclined to respect you and follow your lead.

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Compassion as a Classroom Management Tool

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As the school year progressed, my interactions with my students changed. I became more comfortable with demonstrating my love and respect for them, and my classroom management strategies became centered on compassion instead of consequences. When my students could see that I cared about their lives and well-being, they were better able to trust me.

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Develop Success Criteria for Transitions and Procedures

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Develop Success Criteria for Transitions and Procedures

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Watch Video

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By adding content into your transitions, you can improve classroom management. See how one elementary school teacher adds content to transitions to enhance learning in the classroom.

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Positive Classroom Expectations with Student Input

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Positive Classroom Expectations with Student Input

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Watch video

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When we take a brain break, it refreshes our thinking and helps us discover another solution to a problem or see a situation through a different lens. During these few minutes, the brain moves away from learning, memorizing, and problem solving. The brain break actually helps to incubate and process new information. Consider trying these activities with your class:
1. The Junk Bag
I always carry a bag of household objects containing markers, scrap paper, and anything that one would find in a junk drawer -- for example, a can opener or a pair of shoelaces. Pick any object out of the junk bag and ask students to come up with two ways this object could be reinvented for other uses. They can write or draw their responses. Once students have drawn or written about an invention, they can walk the room for one minute sharing and comparing.
2. Squiggle Story
On a blank sheet of paper, whiteboard, or Promethean Board, draw one squiggly line. Give students one minute to stand and draw with their opposite hand, turning the line into a picture or design of their choice.
3. Opposite Sides
Movement is critical to learning. Have students stand and blink with the right eye while snapping the fingers of their left hand. Repeat this with the left eye and right hand. Students could also face one another and tap the right foot once, left foot twice, and right foot three times, building speed they alternate toe tapping with their partner.
4. Symbolic Alphabet
Sing the alphabet with names of objects rather than the letters.
5. Other Languages
Teach sign language or make up a spoken language. In pairs, students take turns speaking or interpreting this new language for 30 seconds each.
6. Mental Math
Give a set of three instructions, counting the sequence to a partner for 30 seconds. Example: Count by two until 20, then count by three until 50, finishing with seven until 80. Switch and give the other partner another set of numbers to count.
7. Invisible Pictures
Have a student draw a picture in the air while their partner guesses what it is. You could give them categories such as foods, places, or other ways to narrow the guessing.
8. Story Starters
A student or teacher begins a story for one minute, either individually or with a partner. The students then complete or continue it with a silly ending.
9. Rock Scissors Paper Math
With the traditional game, the last call-out is "math." With that call, students lay out one, two, three, or four fingers in the palm of their hand. The best of three wins.

Focused-Attention Practices

A focused-attention practice is a brain exercise for quieting the thousands of thoughts that distract and frustrate us each day. When the mind is quiet and focused, we are able to be present with a specific sound, sight, or taste. Research repeatedly shows that quieting our minds ignites our parasympathetic nervous system, reducing heart rate and blood pressure while enhancing our coping strategies to effectively handle the day-to-day challenges that keep coming. Our thinking improves and our emotions begin to regulate so that we can approach an experience with variable options.

For the following practices, the goal is to start with 60 to 90 seconds and build to five minutes:
1. Breathing
Use the breath as a focus point. Have students place one hand close to their nose (not touching) and one hand on their belly. As they breathe in, have them feel their bellies expand. As they exhale, they can feel the warm air hit their hand. Students will focus on this breath for only one minute. Let them know that it's OK when thoughts sometimes come into the mind uninvited. Tell them to exhale that thought away.

Visualize colors while focusing on the breath. Inhale a deep green, and exhale a smoky gray. Have the students imagine the colors as swirling and alive with each inhale. If a student is de-escalating from an angry moment, the color red is a great color to exhale.

For younger children, direct students to stand and, as they inhale, lift an arm or leg and wiggle it, exhaling it back to its original position. For younger grades beginning these focused-attention practices, it's good to include an inhale and exhale with any type of movement.
4. The Deep-Dive Breath
We inhale for four counts, hold for four, and exhale slowly for four counts. You can increase the holding of breath by a few seconds once the students find the rhythm of the exercise.
5. Energizing Breath
We pant like a dog with our mouths open and our tongues out for 30 seconds, continuing for another 30 seconds with our mouths closed as we take short belly breaths with one hand on the belly. We typically take three energizing pant breaths per second. After a full minute, the students return to four regular deep inhales and exhales.

The use of sound is very powerful for engaging a calm response. In the three classrooms where I teach, we use rain sticks, bells, chimes, and music. There are many websites that provide music for focus, relaxation, and visualization. Here is one of my favorites.
7. Rise and Fall
As we breathe in and out through our noses, we can lie on the floor and place an object on our stomachs, enhancing our focus by watching the rising and falling of our bellies.

When we are focused and paying attention to our thoughts, feelings and choices, we have a much greater opportunity to change those thoughts and feelings that are not serving us well in life and in school. When we grasp this awareness, we see and feel the difference!

How do you stimulate or quiet your students?

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Energy and Calm: Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices | Edutopia

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When presented with new material, standards, and complicated topics, we need to be focused and calm as we approach our assignments. We can use brain breaks and focused-attention practices to positively impact our emotional states and learning. They refocus our neural circuitry with either stimulating or quieting practices that generate increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, where problem solving and emotional regulation occur.

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals https://t.co/S7eNQHIZ94

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals pic.twitter.com/S7eNQHIZ94
— Cara Pier (@PierPerspective) September 1, 2017

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals https://t.co/S7eNQHIZ94

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals https://t.co/S7eNQHIZ94

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Each student picked one word as a goal for the school year. #unionrxi #ums #onewordchallenege #goals

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth.

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth. https://t.co/bBM9TmDXsG

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth. pic.twitter.com/bBM9TmDXsG
— edutopia (@edutopia) August 27, 2017

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth. https://t.co/bBM9TmDXsG

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth. https://t.co/bBM9TmDXsG

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Morning meetings at this school come from the idea that students' social-emotional growth is just as important as their academic growth.

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Click to watch a video from Edutopia

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.”

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.” https://t.co/mFpVCwg9u4

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.” pic.twitter.com/mFpVCwg9u4
— edutopia (@edutopia) August 26, 2017

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.” https://t.co/mFpVCwg9u4

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.” https://t.co/mFpVCwg9u4

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“Shout-outs are such an effective strategy for anyone. You can throw them in anywhere. They’re easy, they’re quick.”

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Click below for all the ideas from our 8/24's PD

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Access Google Drive with a Google account (for personal use) or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Click to watch Video

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Click the Link Below to view article for 8/31's PD

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Most teachers make an effort to get to know their students, and many regularly distribute surveys at the start of each school year to speed up that process. The problem is, most teachers read these surveys once, then file them away. Sure, they might have every intention of returning to the surveys and reviewing them later, but far too often, that time never comes. We rely on our day-to-day interactions for relationship building, and although we get to know some students quite well this way, others just fade into the background.

A 360 Spreadsheet is a place for teachers to store and access the "other" data we collect on our students, giving us a more complete, 360-degree view of each student. It's a single chart that organizes it all and lets us see, at a glance, things we might otherwise forget. Many teachers already keep track of students' birthdays. Think of this as a birthday chart on steroids. Figure 10-1 is just one possible version of a 360 Spreadsheet:

Because the 360 Spreadsheet is a single document, teachers can access it much more easily than they could a whole folder of surveys. Having the information formatted this way also makes it immediately clear which students a teacher needs to get to know better.

The chart in Figure 10-1 sorts student information into the following suggested categories:

* Passions: What is the student really into? Keeping track of things like hobbies, collections, and other hard-to categorize obsessions will help you connect with your students. This information will boost your ability to help students select books for independent reading, choose topics for writing or research projects, or even better understand math or history concepts by placing them in the context of things they are just crazy about.

* Family: The home environment plays a major role in how well a student performs academically. This category can include information about whether a student lives in one home or travels between the homes of two parents.

It might ask about the number of people who live in the household. It can also include other family-related facts, like whether anyone at home is dealing with an illness, is currently incarcerated, has special needs, travels frequently, or has a noteworthy profession or skill set (Mom is a circus performer? Probably worth noting.)

* Activities: This category will help you better understand what outside activities fill up a student's schedule when they are not in school. Are they on a sports team? Do they have a part-time job? Will they be busier on certain days of the week or at certain times of the year? Not only will this information give you a more complete picture of who your students are, it will build your awareness of the other demands placed on their time.

* Academics: Here's where you can put things a standardized test won't tell you about a student's academic needs and preferences: If a student struggles with handwriting, expresses a strong desire to work alone, has a strong interest in a particular subject area, or lights up during certain types of activities, record this information; it will help you individualize instruction later.

* Food & Drink: No, you are not a caterer. But why not keep a list of each child's favorite candy or snack? While you're at it, record food allergies on this chart as well-the information is probably in the school paperwork already; might as well add it here.

* Physical: Along with conditions that are already listed on students' official paperwork, this category can include others that are not, but are still important, like needing to use the restroom frequently or the tendency to get cold easily.

* Skills: Our students bring with them talents and skills we may not even be aware of if we don't ask, so when you find these things out, include them in your chart. Has a student been taking violin lessons for years? Add that. Do they know a lot about dairy farming? Origami? Photography? Put it all in there. Not only will knowing about these skills further develop your knowledge of the student, they may also come in handy when you need help or information about an area where you lack expertise.

* Other: This seems like it could be a throw-away category, but making room for miscellaneous information is a good idea. Things like sensitivities to loud noises, religious practices, or random facts about student histories (e.g., "Lived in China") should also be recorded, even if they don't necessarily fit into any broad category. Although these categories offer vital information, they are just suggestions.

Teachers can and should collect whatever information is most relevant to them, information that will help you connect to your students as whole people and build strong relationships with them.
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THE HACK IN ACTION
Lisa Tremonte, a special education teacher at Apshawa Elementary School in West Milford, New Jersey, began using a 360 Spreadsheet in the fall of 2014. After giving students a survey, she entered their responses into the chart, then stored the spreadsheet in the front of her planning binder, which made it accessible at all times and enabled her to add to it over the school year as she learned more about her students. "In a quick glance," she says, "I can access a wealth of information that really matters about my students. I use it to talk to my students about their lives outside of school when we're saying hello or during lunch and snack time."

Although the spreadsheet does serve an academic purpose, offering ideas when students struggle to come up with topics for writing assignments, its greater value is that it makes students feel seen. "It enables me to ask students direct questions about the sports they play, teams they love, their pets, siblings, and passions," Tremonte says. "When I do, the look on their faces says it all. They know that I listen to them, care about them, and think their lives are important. The chart has given me the tools I need to ensure that each child feels loved, safe, and at home in my classroom every day."

Although education has no silver bullets, building strong relationships with our students comes pretty close. It cuts back on classroom management problems, motivates students to work harder, helps us more effectively differentiate instruction, and generally makes school a better place to be for everyone. The easier you can make it to build those relationships, the more they will pay off for you and your students.
Mark Barnes is a veteran teacher, author, speaker and creator of the Hack Learning Series for teachers and the Hack Learning mobile app. He is the author of six education books, including "Role Reversal." His book, "Assessment 3.0," encourages teachers to eliminate traditional grades and build an ongoing conversation about learning. He is the publisher of the Brilliant or Insane blog and can be found on Twitter at @markbarnes19 .

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Rethinking Data: How to Create a Holistic View of Students | KQED

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Most teachers make an effort to get to know their students, and many regularly distribute surveys at the start of each school year to speed up that process. The problem is, most teachers read these surveys once, then file them away.

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Click to Watch a Video about Peace Corners

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions.

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions. https://t.co/f3khNOPQQ6

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions. pic.twitter.com/f3khNOPQQ6
— edutopia (@edutopia) August 20, 2017

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions. https://t.co/f3khNOPQQ6

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions. https://t.co/f3khNOPQQ6

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A peace corner in every classroom gives students time and space to manage their emotions.

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat
— Teaching Channel (@TeachingChannel) September 2, 2017

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat

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Watch how one teacher creates a positive learning environment. https://t.co/YFHQANsUBC #ClassCulture #profdev #edchat