Record cards are a very important tool in your school, especially when you are teaching children and dealing with parents. They give details of the students attendances, when they graded last, perhaps some comments related to the individual, when they were tagged last so at a glance the instructor and the student can monitor their progress. In this way, when little Johnny’s mum questions you why her child isn’t grading or achieving something in particular, you can pull out the attendance card which will clearly indicate lack of attendance etc to back up your argument.

An attendance card is usually A5 and sits in a box separated by alphabetical separators.

HOW TO USE THE ATTENDANCE CARD

These cards, if used properly can give a tremendous amount of information which can help the life of an instructor.

MARKING CARDS

• Before the lesson is over ensure all students have picked up their card.
• Collect all the cards
• Mark the cards with your signature
• Count the cards and record this number on the statistics sheet.
• Use the card to record any behavior points, positive or negative.
• Use the card to record if the student has a medical condition, asthma, diabetes etc. This is best done in coded form to preserve the privacy of the student. But it is useful to remind you of their condition if they need help.

CHECKING WHO IS MISSING & AND WHAT ACTION TO TAKE:

• Before you return the cards into the box, run through the remaining cards and check who is missing and who has not turned up in the last week.
• Anybody you have noticed missing, give them either (a) a phone call or (b) send them a ‘Missed you in class’ card.
• Record this on the DNS (Did Not Show) record sheet or on the actual card.
• Then return all the cards back to the box.

RECORDING GRADINGS ON THE CARD

• Ensure that you have all the cards of the individuals who have just graded.
• Mark on their card the date of the grading and the colour of the belt.

HOW TO CHECK WHO SHOULD BE PROVISIONALLY GRADING

• Run through the cards and pick out who has not graded for 2 – 3  months (white to purple), 3 – 4 months (purple to green)  6 months (blue to red) NB: these colours are based on the Kaizendo System.
• Have a meeting with the relevant instructors and discuss each child individually. Write down their names on a list and the dates of when they last graded.
• Check who you need to focus on and what requires attention.
• Put together a list of names who should potentially grade. Discuss this with other instructors.
• Check that all the belts are in stock and put them aside in a box.
• Plan the tagging and the classes around the curriculum required to be covered.
• Once you have the confirmed list of these who are definitely grading, get reception to write the certificates for you or somebody with nice handwriting. IMPORTANT – MAKE SURE YOU SPELL THE NAMES CORRECTLY.
• Set a date for the grading during the class time, and ensure reception puts a poster up with the dates.
• Ensure that those children/or parents of the child who are not grading are very clear why they are being held back.

This article is an extract from the book ‘How to Run a Successful Martial Arts School’ by Frank & Catarina Murphy.