Creating class profiles

What is a class profile? A class profile is a tool that provides insights into learning preferences, strengths, interests and areas for special care or support of a class. It is a descriptive document considered as a synopsis or statistics of a class and deemed as a ready reference for instructional planning. The class profile should be prepared at the beginning of the school year and periodically updated (for example: at midterm and end of term). The updates are built upon the existing data in the current class profile. Kinds of information possibly included in a class profile are: class learning abilities and talents learning interests and preferences learning styles multiple intelligences categories learners’ strengths learners’ needs socio-affective characteristics etc.

Importance of making a class profile In an attempt to achieve high-quality teaching and learning, gaining a solid understanding of students must be prioritized. Regarded as “the mapping of a class in a nutshell”, a class profile is a summary of the class characteristics which indicates teachers’ understanding of their students. It helps teachers plan their instruction and assessment, tailor teaching strategies and build a learning environment which can maximize learner engagement. As a cross-section of a class, the class profile helps teachers to categorize classroom data by analyzing and identifying patterns of similarities and differences among students. Once this diagnosis is done, teachers have inputs for differentiated and personalized strategies which intentionally and strategically improve student learning.

How to create a class profile? Creating a class profile involves a process of collecting information about students, which can be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as: Surveys One-to-one conversations with individual students Conversations with parents Early Learning Profile data Assessment data Report Card data Classroom observations There is no fixed template for a class profile. A sample can be found here.