Hacking Education-Part 4-Track Records

This chapter was interesting to me because it boiled down to creating and maintaining proper relationships with students.
Classroom management has been a hot button issue in many schools and districts. As I read, I realized that the process of tracking behavior, positive and negative, by writing it down and by sharing it at the appropriate times makes the unconscious evaluation of people visible, valuable, and valid. Children, but especially adults need to make this process more intentional.

Personal aside
I have made mistakes Shocking, I know, but stay with me. Looking back at those errant times and documenting what went wrong with dates, events, and other surrounding circumstances have helped me see a bigger picture of how I could have handled the situation better, see the viewpoint of others, and what I can do the next time a similar experience comes up. Many revelations or epiphanies are not easy to handle but with support of friends and family, I have survived.

So, this type of self-correcting is what the authors are hoping teachers will learn if they don't know already and teach to students so they will see beyond themselves and how they can modify their behavior to gain the outcomes they truly desire.

There are many benefits the chapter outlines, but the one that I can relate to is finding and grabbing the moment to slow down and get out of one's self.

(Dr. Strange - out of body picture)

This is critical to maintaining professionalism, keeping your cool, and being in control of the class. Any teacher who has lost their cool and done something very stupid can tell you they have regretted it and possibly was the singular moment that caused an accelerated descent into chaos.

One more thing, the tracking does work on many levels and is known by other names:
Cookies
Crumbs
Data points
Metadata
Fingerprints
DNA
Hair Tags

"...Ultimately, who we are really is the sum of the choices we make."
-Hacking Education p. 61.