The Simple Way I Track Behavior in My Class... Digitally!

I am always looking for ways to streamline data collection.  In the past, I was only tracking the behavior of students if it was related to an IEP goal, or if we were beginning to notice a spike in behavior.  And while this worked, it isn't always enough.  This year I found a way to track all of my students' behavior in less than one minute a day... AND I don't even need to pick up a pen!

To make this happen, I use two things: Google Forms (check below for the FREEBIE!) and an Amazon Fire tablet.  While you don't need the tablet to use Google Forms, it does make it more convenient for staff to document behavior without having to access the computer.  Google Forms is free and easy to use.  It is basically a survey that gathers and analyzes any type of information.

I will be honest, I have always been a bit resistant to using a tablet for data collection for a couple of reasons.

1. I give all of my tech to my students.
2. TECH IS EXPENSIVE! (or so I thought...)

The Amazon Fire tablet is actually pretty inexpensive.  You can typically find them for less than $50, which is a killer deal. Now that I have the tablet I find that I use it for far more than just data collection, but that's a topic for another post!


Now that you know what I use, here is how you can make it for yourself!

First, download a copy of the Google Forms Digital Classroom Behavior Log.  Open the file and click on the link.  You will be prompted to save a copy of the Google Forms template.

Next, type all of your students' names in the left column.  You can also change titles for each behavior rating to meet the needs of your classroom.  And... that's it!  Your form is all set up!  Pretty easy, right!?!
Now it is time to give it a test run and view your responses.  Don't worry, you can delete your responses later.  Click on the preview icon in the upper right corner.  This will bring you to the actual form that you will fill out to track behavior.

Select one of the behavior options for each student and add a note at the bottom to detail any incidents that happened during the day.  Then hit the submit button to record your information. 

Click "submit another response" to head back to the form.

Are you ready to take a look at your responses? Click on the orange pencil in the upper right corner to get into editing mode.

Next, click on the responses tab.  This will give you a your data in a bar graph.  Hover over each bar to get more detailed information.  You can also download the responses in a Google Sheets file.  This is a great option if you need to find information from a specific date or time period.

Now that you have had a chance to play around with the form, you may want to delete the information that you submitted so that you can start fresh with your students.  Just click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner and select "delete all responses."

This Google Form is easy to access from anywhere with an internet connection.  All you need to do is access the URL.  This can be done by creating a bookmark, or saving the link to your desktop.

Would you like to see a video of these steps in action?  Click on the video below and I will walk you through of the entire process. 

Are you ready to give it a try?  I would love to hear how it goes for you!

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links.  I only link to products that I personally use and find beneficial.  Please click HERE for more information.)