Shajara ya somo — kumbukumbu za somo
A teacher logbook (shajara ya somo, also called kumbukumbu za somo) is the running record of what was actually taught. For each period it captures the date, the class and stream, the main topic and sub-topic covered, and the teacher's signature. Where the scheme of work states the plan, the logbook states the reality — and the gap between the two is precisely what an academic officer is looking at when they open your subject file.
That is why the logbook is the least glamorous and most frequently requested of the three planning documents. A scheme can be downloaded and submitted in an afternoon. A logbook can only be built one lesson at a time, which makes it the honest record of coverage: it shows whether Chapter Four was reached before the terminal examination, and it shows which weeks were lost to sports, holidays or absence.
Under the mtaala mpya issued by the Tanzania Institute of Education, the logbook also carries a competency column in most formats, because coverage is now recorded against competences rather than content headings alone. Where a school submits records to a district education officer, or a class is being prepared for a NECTA assessment, that column is what evidences syllabus coverage.
Primary classes — English medium and Kiswahili medium
Primary logbooks are organised by class level and subject, and are available in both English medium and Kiswahili medium versions. Because a primary teacher usually carries several subjects for one class, each logbook is a single subject file that sits behind the class file — which is how most primary academic offices ask for them. Confirm the class bands against your current TIE syllabus booklet, since the new curriculum is still phasing in.
Foundation stage, focused on literacy and numeracy.
Middle primary, where subjects separate into distinct disciplines.
Upper primary, with PSLE preparation built into the record.
Form 1 to Form 4 — general stream and mkondo wa amali
Ordinary Level logbooks carry a stream column as well as a class column, because a subject teacher usually covers the same topic across several streams in a week and each needs its own dated line. Both pathways are covered: the general stream (mkondo wa kawaida) and the vocational stream (mkondo wa amali), whose logbooks add a column for practical and workshop sessions since those carry marks in continuous assessment.
Form 5 and Form 6 — all subjects
Advanced Level logbooks separate theory from practical, because practicals carry marks in both continuous assessment and the ACSEE practical papers, and a record that folds them together cannot evidence either. Subjects that TIE treats as standalone at this level — Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, General Chemistry, Academic Communication, Physical Geography and Food and Human Nutrition — each have their own logbook rather than sharing a parent subject file.
The three documents work together. A logbook on its own proves little. Pair it with the matching scheme of work and lesson plans — those are the three files an academic officer opens together. For classroom delivery, see primary notes, Ordinary Level notes, Advanced Level notes and NECTA past papers.
The columns inspectors read, and the mistakes they notice
Formats vary slightly between schools and districts, but the columns below are the ones an academic officer or district education officer expects to find. What changes between levels is the detail, not the structure.
| Column | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Date | The actual date the period was taught, not the date planned in the scheme. |
| Class and stream | Form and stream, or class. A subject taught to three streams needs three separate lines. |
| Period and time | Which period on the timetable, so the record can be checked against it. |
| Main topic and sub-topic | Named as the TIE syllabus names them, so coverage can be traced back to the syllabus document. |
| Competence covered | The competency the lesson developed. This column is what the new curriculum added. |
| Number of students | Registered and present, where your school's format asks for it. |
| Teaching aids used | What was actually used, including improvised materials. |
| Assessment given | Exercise, test, practical or project set during or after the lesson. |
| Remarks | Coverage notes, and the reason for any period not taught — sports day, public holiday, absence. |
| Signature | The teacher's signature per entry or per week, and the head of department's counter-signature where required. |
On clickonlineacademy.ac.tz
All logbooks — primary, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level, English medium and Kiswahili medium — are available on the Click Online Academy platform. Use the subject links above to go straight to one, or start from the main library and browse by level.
Every subject from Standard 1 to Form 6, formatted for inspection and ready to personalise.
Open the logbook library Get the Android appOfficial references: Tanzania Institute of Education · TIE online library · National Examinations Council of Tanzania
Answers matched to the FAQPage schema
A teacher logbook (shajara ya somo or kumbukumbu za somo) is the running record of what a teacher actually taught. Each entry records the date, class and stream, period, main topic and sub-topic, competence covered, teaching aids, assessment given, remarks and the teacher's signature.
A scheme of work is the plan made before the term starts, setting out which topic is taught in which week. A logbook is the record made during the term of what was actually taught and when. Inspectors read the two side by side: the scheme states the intention and the logbook provides the evidence.
Logbooks for primary, Ordinary Level and Advanced Level are on clickonlineacademy.ac.tz. Select your level, subject and class or form, then download the file and personalise it with your school details.
Enter each lesson as soon after teaching it as possible, and at minimum once a week. A term filled in at the last minute is visible — identical handwriting and unbroken sequencing across three months does not read as a contemporaneous record.
Yes. Primary logbooks are available in both English medium and Kiswahili medium versions. Subjects taught in Kiswahili at secondary level, including Historia ya Tanzania na Maadili, Kiswahili and Fasihi ya Kiswahili, have their logbooks in Kiswahili.
Yes. Logbooks for mkondo wa amali subjects add a column for practical and workshop sessions, because those carry marks in continuous assessment and need to be recorded separately from theory periods.
Yes. Each subject and each class or form level needs its own logbook, and a subject taught across several streams needs a separate dated line for each stream. Every subject is listed individually above so you can assemble your full teaching load in one visit.
Yes. They follow the column structure academic officers and school inspectors expect. Personalise each one with your school, subject, class and stream, and cross-check the topic names against your official TIE syllabus booklet, which remains the authority.