The Highs...and Lows of Data

 Oh data! Data makes the world go 'round right? Well, the education world anyway. 

I know not everyone is what they call "data driven." Honestly, I wasn't when I first got started teaching. I didn't realize what a great tool data could be, partially because it was not presented to me as such. When I first became a teacher, data was shoved down my throat, and we were not taught how to utilize it. It was just “here, track this, post it on a wall for all to see, but then don’t use it.” I didn’t realize that data could actually show me what to do and not to do in the classroom, where to go, how to help, where to intervene. I wasn't taught how to use the data, and where to go once we have it.

Six years and a district change later. Man! I can’t wait for my scores to be uploaded into Aware! I’m on pins and needles waiting to see how my kids did, where they need help, what areas they rocked it, and what areas need major intervention. Not only that, but I’m competitive, I mean big time! I want my kids to be the best, our campus to be the best, and for our scores to be better (much better) than they were with the previous assessment. It feels so good to know your kids are achieving, that in turn, you are achieving, and doing a good job.

Then, there are the lows...

Those lows can get you down. Low test scores, low SEs, low averages, low passing rate, they all make you feel one way, inadequate. You feel like you failed your kids, your team, principals, and the district. You wonder what you could have done, should have done differently. Why did your kids not do as well as you thought they would? Why did your campus not have the highest scores in the district? Why, why, why? What could you have done differently or better? Should I be a teacher? Am I any good at teaching? All of these are questions that go through my head when I see data I don’t like.

Then I think

and think

and think.

I am a good teacher. Data drives my instruction, especially my intervention, but it doesn’t drive my TEACHING. I teach kids, not SEs, not a test, not a score. I teach children who depend on me. I’m hard on myself, because I know I have a room full of kids who depend on me. They depend on me to teach them about everything; academically and morally. I have to stop and remember that the data I’m looking at shows a room full of different kids, who have different abilities, needs, and situations. Does low data show a flaw in my teaching? Yes absolutely, sometimes. Sometimes it shows that my kids just aren’t ready yet, or they were tired, hungry, sick, sad, or upset. Sometimes it shows that I need to reteach the concept all over again from a different perspective. It shows that we need to review, and practice, and work hard.

Why do I get so worked up about data? Well, sometimes data is all anyone ever sees out of your teaching. If my data is bad, my scores are low, that automatically means I’m a bad teacher, right? That is sometimes the way I see it.

Then again, I see my kids. My 23 kids, my kids who are growing, learning, and thriving. They don’t care about the data like I do; they care about the awesome new skills they get to take to 4^th grade. They care about me being proud of them, and seeing a smile on my face. I’m so thankful I have a full understanding of how to use my data to help my kids. Now, if only I could learn to not take it so personally. Why don’t we just say, “that is what good teachers do!”