When To Document

The third or fourth time you have the same problem with the same student, you get a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach.  “These weren’t just isolated incidents as the child adjusts to a new class,” you think.  “This is a real behavior problem!”  You might also have a child whose behavior is average but whose parent is particularly critical of you, the school, or the child. 

What to Document

Once you’ve figured out that you’ve got a special case on your hands, don’t waste any more time.  Start documenting everything right away!  You will need evidence of what the child has done, what provoked the behavior, modifications you have made, notes that may be needed at a SIT meeting if the child gets referred for special education or behavior modification, and proof of the child’s actions to show parents. 

Why Bother Documenting?

This is overwhelming in itself, but add to that your “other” responsibility of actually TEACHING the class!  How in the world are you supposed to keep a paper trail while creating lessons, grading papers, and helping your students?  The teacher’s word is no longer taken as automatically right, and there will be occasions on which you have to prove your motives and justify your actions.  On more than one occasion, a teacher has been accused and later acquitted of wrong doing in the classroom.  If you have a paper trail, you can prove your case against any false allegations against you. Additionally, if a child ever needs to be recommended for special education services, you will need evidence of the modifications you made, what worked, and what didn’t.

How To Document

1.  Keep a documentation file for each student.  This is separate from their cumulative files.  It should contain only notes to and from home, notable evidence of academic growth or struggles, correspondence with the guidance counselor, etc.

2. Write everything on carbon-copy notes.  I get these for free from Highlights magazine.  A copy of all notes home goes into the file.

3. When a parent sends you a note, write your response to the parent at the top of the paper and file it.  “Called 3/21- see phone log” or “sent note home-attached” and staple a copy of any note you write back to the parent’s note.  Never file a parent’s note without responding to it if needed and documenting that response.

4. Keep a phone log to document all conversations.  You can find a copy of the phone doc log I use here.  This can help remind you what was said and when.

5. Send home weekly evaluations documenting the child’s behavior and whether class work and homework assignments were completed on time.  A parent can never feel as if s/he was not kept informed about these two crucial issues if a note is sent home weekly for the parent to sign.  See more about weekly evaluations here. 

6. Have a daily behavior log for children who need more immediate reinforcement.  Meet with parents to plan a reward schedule for meeting agreed-upon expectations.  I use an agenda book to write how many checks (negative behavior marks, like tallies) a child in my room gets each day, and a code to explain to the parent what each check was for.  For example, I might write “2 checks, T, NF” which means the child got one check for talking and one for not following directions.  The child is responsible for giving me the agenda book at the end of the day and giving it to the parent to be signed. This takes literally ten seconds of my time at the end of the day and holds the child accountable for the day’s actions.   It also lets the parent know what to expect on the weekly evaluation.

7. Send progress reports home mid-quarter if you suspect a child may receive a “C” or lower in any area, including behavior.  Surprises are your worst enemy.  Parents hate finding out too late about a situation they could have corrected.  Requiring a signature ensures a parent has seen the information and is thereby accountable for it.

8. Have your principal initial any potentially controversial notes you send home.  This keeps him or her informed, covers you in case a parent responds negatively, and lets the parent know you are to be taken serious and have backing for your classroom practices.

9. Document each time a child is removed from your classroom.  I created this form to have a record of the incident and provide information to the teacher/office I send the child to.  I then photocopy it and send it home for the parent to sign and return as well.

10. Utilize your guidance counselor’s services and keep a copy of information, notes, and resources s/he can provide you.  When a social situation seems beyond your scope of expertise, don’t be afraid to approach the guidance counselor for advice.  Sometimes s/he can speak with the children and/or the parents on your behalf.  Jot down the date and time of the any meetings and file it for future reference.

Making Time to Document

When students first enter the room and unpack, have them turn in any notes from home.  You can respond while the kids do their morning warm up.  Have students file any non-confidential information you need in your documentation folders.  Use your time at the end of the day during dismissal to complete any further documentation.  You should not have to use your planning time very often to deal with behavior issues.  When you need to contact a parent, make sure you have done all other necessary tasks first.  In other words, if you chose to call during your lunch break, make sure you have eaten first and made copies for the afternoon, etc. so that you are able to get everything done.  Schedule impromptu parent conferences before school hours, rather than after.  That way, you are guaranteed to end on a timely basis because children will be lined up in the hallway waiting to come in.  After school conferences can easily go on unchecked because there will be no interruptions.  There are exceptions to this, of course, but trust me, after you’ve stayed after school for an hour and a half discussing one child, you’ll seriously consider meeting in a specified amount of time beforehand!

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An example of what can happen when you keep poor documentation records:

Teacher takes a phone call with pencil and paper in hand:

“My child told me you took away his recess today”

I… think he missed recess, yes, but I didn’t have duty today, so I’ll have to check  with Mrs. Jones.

“But he did all of his homework except reading!”

Let me look through all of the homework papers to see if he had it…

“Well, he said he saw a boy next to him who didn’t have his homework and that boy didn’t miss recess!”

Who was it?  He probably should have, if he didn’t have recess.

“Well, this is the first time it’s ever happened.”

I think he was missing a math assignment a couple week ago- I’ll go into my grade book to see…

“I wrote a note so you would know we had football practice late that day”.

What did the note say?  I’m not sure I got it.

Parent’s overall impression: This teacher is incompetent.  She has no idea what my child did and did not do.  She’s not being fair and treats him differently than the other kids.  I’m going to have to check behind her every day to make sure she didn’t screw up because clearly I’m the only one with my facts straight.

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An example of what can happen with complete documentation records:

Teacher takes a phone call with pencil, phone documentation log, and documentation file in hand:

“My child told me you took away his recess today”.

Yes, I didn’t have duty today, but my chart shows he did miss it.

“But he did all of his homework except reading!”

That’s correct.  At the beginning of the year, we sent home a Third Grade Policies letter explaining that if any portion of a child’s homework is missing, that child must miss recess.  Each parent ad child agreed to that policy and signed it. I can send a copy home if you’d like.

“Well, he said he saw a boy next to him who didn’t have his homework and that boy didn’t miss recess!”

Yes, the child next to him was absent yesterday.  He will need to turn in the assignment by the end of the week or the same consequence will apply.

“Well, this is the first time it’s ever happened.”

Johnny has done an excellent job turning in his work- I can tell you work very closely with him at home.  [Looking over the weekly evaluation form] In fact, this is only the second time he’s ever been missing any assignment.  But unfortunately, I have to enforce the same policy for every student, every time, in order to be fair.

“I wrote a note so you would know we had football practice late that day”.

[Flips through documentation file to make sure there were no special circumstances with the note]  Yes, I have a copy of your note right here.  Thanks for letting me know what the problem was.  Anytime Johnny will be missing a homework assignment, it would be wonderful if you would continue to write me notes.  He can certainly make up the work tonight and turn it in tomorrow for full credit, minus one letter grade.  He’s a very conscientious student, so I’m sure this won’t be a recurring problem. 

Parent’s Overall Impression:  This teacher knows exactly what’s going  on in her classroom.  She is consistent and treats everyone the same, even if I disagree with her policy.  I did agree to the homework policy at the beginning of the year, though, and she is allowing Johnny to make up the work with only a small penalty.  Next time Johnny tells me something unfair happened to him, I’ll make sure I know all the facts and teacher’s expectations of him.


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