Seating Charts
In PowerSchool you can create seating charts. This has been there for a long time, but with some of the updates they have made it more flexible to use. You can get to the seating chart by clicking on the 3rd one over.
From here you are shown your kids in a pre-populated order listed under Seating Chart. You can then click under Seating Chart Design to edit the design.
From here you can move students around to an order that fits your class. You can even add Objects, such as your desk, a door, or the chalkboard. It will start by putting your students in the area. If you want though you can create tables, chairs etc. and then you can hit the X on each student. You will see them appear on the left-hand side. You can then move their blank seats or click on the blank seat and choose Remove.
After having your setup if the seats are blank you can hit Populate and it will auto put students in seats for you. You may also move them around as you want. When you are done hit Save and you can go back to Seating Chart.
The Seating chart when done allows you to mark attendance using that. It will show their picture as long as it is in PowerSchool so that will make it easier to identify them. You can also choose the handy feature of Random Student Selector
This will bring up a student's name so you can use that to randomly choose students during class.
Special Order in Gradebooks
One of the biggest headaches it seems is when you have your one gradebook going and then a new student comes. You will write their name at the bottom of your gradebook, but in PowerSchool it will put them in alphabetical order. This can cause different problems when entering grades. There is a fix for this in PowerSchool.
After you log into the gradebook go to the Student Info tab
From there if you are on a Mac choose PowerTeacher Gradebook and Preferences
If you are on a PC choose Tools then Preferences
When you are in there you will want to go over to the last tab that says Students.
Under Sort Students by choose where it says Teacher Defined Order and hit OK. You will now be back at the student Tab of your gradebook. You will see that there are now arrows next to each student's name.
You can then click on either arrow of the number and move that student up or down on the list (ex. move the new student to the bottom of the list). When you are done click Save. When you go to put in grades you will see that the students are in that order now in your gradebook.
