Collaboration Solves Problems

As a classroom teacher there is no shortage of problems to solve.  At the middle school, CJ McDonald found a challenging one to help resolve.

The problem: Taking attendance accurately in a handful of large middle school classes in an efficient manner

The solution: Collaboration with the Teacher Leadership Program

With a vocal classroom that typically has around 75 students, Kelsey Brown was always looking for ways to create efficient procedures.  Attendance has been a challenge in the past.  The second her students aren't engaged in singing, they are tempted to turn and talk to their neighbors, so it is hard to see exactly who is where when they aren't facing the front and standing still.  "Calling roll" took way too long.  Having student volunteers do attendance from a seating chart was inconsistent and sometimes became a distraction.  

Kelsey mentioned this to her mentor coach, Jennie Lorenzen and to her Instructional Coach, Steven Starkey.  They, in turn contacted the Technology Integration Coach(TIC), CJ McDonald.  Collaborating with his fellow TIC Ryan Gotto, CJ tried a handful of different attendance strategies such as using an iPad to scan QR codes that students held up at the beginning of class.  After a few dead ends, Ryan suggested having students scan in with their ID card like they do at lunch and the library. 

CJ then created an Excel spreadsheet that would automatically identify students with their bar code number, refer to a master class roster, and black out the name of students who scanned in at the beginning of class.  The scanner was purchased with building funds, by the Excelsior building principal, John Christian. 

At the beginning of the 2015 school year, the new TIC Todd Lane worked with CJ McDonald and Kelsey Brown to set up the Excel document, the scanner and to brainstorm classroom management strategies to have students scan their cards as they walked through the door each day. 

SUCCESS.  Kelsey had this to say:

“This new ID scanning system has created a very efficient, reliable procedure for attendance.  I take attendance much more consistently and save time during class.  Some days last year I either forgot, submitted it all at the end of the day, or got frustrated and didn't take it at all.  This year the kids think it's sweet and high-tech, too.

Each grade level has an Excel workbook, and each day has its own tab.  I look at PowerSchool shortly before class starts and make a note of excused absences.  As students come into the room, then know that they need to grab their folder, scan their ID, and find their spot.  I usually stand by the scanner to expedite this process, and to make sure nobody is sneaking out after they have scanned!  About 5 minutes into class, after our warm-up, I call the names of students who have not scanned in.  If a student doesn't have their ID, they just say "no id" and again, I make a note.  

At the end of the process (which takes less than a minute) I have a short list of names, in alphabetical order, to mark "absent" in PowerSchool.  I also have a permanent record, of class attendance and specific reasons kiddos missed class, without having to log into Powerschool."

Problem solved.