HOW’S YOUR RECORD KEEPING DOING?

Teacher’s Diary

Your school’s records are made up of data and information about different aspects of its operations, as well as about its facilities, finances, students, academic performances, staffs and facilities. Teachers – being student facing – are usually involved with academic performance records. Record types such as: reports, baseline reports and transitional reports all provide valuable insight into student progress.

They help in the making of important decisions regarding the learning and behaviour shaping needs of students. A good record keeping process has always and will always be the bane of inefficiency, slackness and procrastination. Good record keeping is one of the least celebrated evidence of good integrity yet it is potentially job-saving and name-saving when trouble comes knocking.Records are historical proofs of actions, communications, decisions and deliberations. Records are of different kinds.

They include: Inventories; correspondences; personal papers, political or official papers; manorial papers – court rolls, surveys and legal paper. Broader examples of records include: medical records; personnel records; education records; organisational records and financial records.Six important steps involved in a good record keeping habit are: identify; capture; record; check; act and review. These steps are useful for keeping all records such as: administrative, fiscal, legal as well as operational record types.Take a look at the following benefits of prompt and effective record keeping. They are sure to help you up your game with regards to keeping good records:

•Accurate records help you monitor the health of your department or organisation
•Records enable you to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your institution, department or business
•Good records help you hone in on the issues you need to tackle •Record keeping gives you valuable information about how you are doing
•A good record helps you spot problems sooner instead of later
•Good records help you claim everything you are entitled to tax-wise
•Good records put you in a favourable place to get a loan or sell your business
•Good records help your planning, grappling with changes and making improvements
•Good record keeping helps you plan your purchases, payment to creditors and to employees
•Keeping good records enables you to prepare your end of year reports or financial accounts
•Good record keeping helps you avert litigation and investigations
•A good record keeping process shortens the time and effort needed to reconstruct information in the event of losses or disaster
•The availability of good records enhances smooth and easy inspection and supervision
•Good records provide relevant evidence for promotion or commendations

Omoru writes from the UK