Let’s talk data carts! I love classroom organization and there are a lot of items at the top of my list. All of the usuals like a teacher toolbox, 10-drawer organizer, ikea Sunnersta buckets, and supply caddies to name a few. This cart is something I added to my organization repertoire a few years ago and let me tell you it’s a must-have for me! If you want to make all of your data organization dreams come true you need this cart in your life!
Here’s why I love organizing my classroom data in a cart like this:
>>>Reason #1: I mean just look at how organized it is! Can you say sparks joy? Granted it’s a little empty in this photo because I had already removed most of things at the end of the year, but even when it’s packed with data it still looks great! Before using this cart I used plastic milk crates (and don’t get me wrong those are great), but this cart just keeps me even more organized. There’s room for plenty of files, a shelf below, it all just works!
>>>Reason #2: It has wheels! I love that you can quickly move it around and roll it into a closet or safe space when you’re not using it to keep that data secure!
>>>Reason #3: Easy access! Reason #2 and #3 kind of go in hand but because it has wheels and keeps everything super organized it makes it all super acessible. Different teachers that support students in our classroom (like sped teachers and gt support) know where to find our classroom data! My students know where to find our data! It’s all readily available and in one place!
I can wheel it over to my small group area if I’d like for a small group of students to use their data folders and do some reflecting. I can put it in the front of the classroom so students can grab their folders themselves and put it back when they’re finished! And when I’ m finished I can put it back in my closet for safe keeping!
Are you convinced that you need a Data Cart yet? Ok, let’s keep going…
*Just a little disclaimer: the exact cart I have is no longer available at the moment and I have not actually purchased the carts I linked, just provided some alternatives! Check out my instagram for some more options!
A few notes on how I manage my data organization in the classroom:
>I teach 2 classes of math and science so I have two of everything when it comes to paper organization, 1 for each class. Two turn-in bins, two sections of hanging files on my cart, and two “pass back” trays.
Once students turn in their assessments to the turn-in bins I clip these together and put them in my “grade” drawer (this is in my 10-drawer cart). Then, I grade them and put them in the “pass back” trays (I absolutely love having these)! Once I pass back the assessments and students track their data and reflect, they file it in their data folder and it goes back in the cart. If you’d like a few more tips on systems and things I have in place to keep my data organized all year long check this out!
>I label the front hanging file with the class (my two groups are the “cougars” and “cardinals”). I do this for two reasons: 1. it covers up the ugly green file folders I got from our school office (I’ll be swapping these out with white ones this year) and 2. I love labeling everything! You could label these with the types of data you are storing in your cart instead, such as “reading data” or “math data”. You can access some FREE labels (including “grade”, “save” and “pass back” labels) in my free resource library by clicking here!
>Data Folders: I have my students keep their data in file folders with covers (free covers here!). I absolutely love these craft paper file folders and I restock them every year! One question I get asked a lot is “what type of data do they keep in their folders?” Since I only teach math and science it’s mainly for math things: unit tests, our monthly computation assessment, that’s pretty much it. At the end of each unit I have them take home all of the data in their folders.
>One more thing since we’re on the topic of data…I love having an organized system for the data in my classroom, but the part I love the most is diving into the data with my students and teaching them to be reflective learners. One thing I stick to in my classroom is having one day a week to pass back assessments and things. We spend this 20ish minutes tracking our scores on our data trackers, reading feedback, and reflecting. Even if I don’t have anything to pass back we still use this time to set goals and reflect.
It’s so important to me that my students are able to critique and reflect on their own work and learning as math students. Collecting and organizing the data is one thing, but truly using this as a way for students to learn and grow as reflective learners is where it’s really at. If you’d like to see more resources on data trackers and reflection forms check out this resource!
Well that’s all the data cart info I have for you at this time! If you’ve made it this far, I love you! Thank you so much for joining me in my little corner of the internet for a while! Please let me know if you have any questions! And just a little sidenote: the exact cart I have is unavailable at this time (I know, bummer!) but I’ve linked some simlar ones!
Just to make it easy, here is a list of some of the things I linked above:
>A few more tips and tricks on data organization
>FREE Labels for Hanging Files: access to FREE Resource Library
>FREE Data Folder/Binder Covers
>Data Trackers & Reflection Forms
>Data Board Resources & much, much more!
Happy Teaching!
