Earlier is week I tweeted this (above) picture, which seemed to get a few RTs and favourites, It was the opening of a weeks worth of thinking (in those quiet moments) about how to use data effectively in planning.
I wanted to get it clear in my mind and be able to simplify the idea to share with others.

Data is good but how do you use it?
Its vital you use data in planning, as i see it for good reasons;
1. the data is useful and helps you keep on track as well as give students feedback and objectives they need
2. If you don’t use data that you collect why did you bother collecting it?

Looking at data, targets, tracks etc can get on top of you and it can seem so arduous that some teachers ignore it. But we shouldn’t, we really just need to learn how to break data down to what we really need to inform our planning and teaching. Simplifying it to make it useful to us!

In the ideal world we’d like to live in we have time to plan for every individual in our class, but there just isn’t time.

However, I want to plan lessons that can stretch the brilliant, inspire to good and engage the disaffected.

My idea is top, middle and bottom.
Look at 3 students in your class and pin their data to you mind, your top student, a student who’s in the middle, and then your least able student.
Plan your lesson with these three in mind. Ask questions as you plan; “Will X understand this?” “Is this interesting enough to engage Y?” “Will Z have plenty to do with this activity or extension?”.

This isn’t rocket science, in fact it makes such sense you’ll be thinking “well, yeah! Obviously!” But be honest with yourself and ask; Do you plan like this? Or do you plan the lesson simply based on what you want to deliver??

Try it and see 🙂

Published by Paul

Teacher | Author | Lead Practitioner View all posts by Paul