Funny when report cards for your students and report cards for your children collide. I've just finished my second trimester report cards and my students will receive them on Friday. My children just had their report cards published and I reviewed them today. Tomorrow I will meet with their teachers via Google Meet to discuss their progress. Meanwhile, I've been calling my students' families this week to discuss their report cards and progress so far.
As a teacher, I'm mindful to say something positive always in the comments. I try to lean on the side of positive when I can for any indicator. I feel badly when a child receives all 1's and minuses and try to soften the blow with kind comments about positive things I notice and appreciate about the child. Years ago, my son had difficulty with reading and writing, The report card had a lot of 2's (below grade level) in these areas. I can't tell you how delighted I was to see 4's down the columns for reading and writing! Exceeding grade level?! Back in second grade I remember meeting with his teacher and AIS provider. I said I didn't want him to be a "lifer" in AIS reading and wanted him to close the gap. I'm so proud of him for how far he's come through a rough few years to be doing so well academically. Report cards are a challenge as a teacher, but I see as a parent how much they mean. It makes the work more important and I vow to help every child feel appreciated and valued. I hope to paint an honest picture for parents while also being hopeful and letting them know what we can work on.....together.
4 Comments
3/24/2021 03:21:37 pm
It is not easy ... and you captured that so well. Sometimes parents do need to understand how their child is progressing -with honest indicators - while always avoiding a deficit model. Sounds like you have found a way to do just that! And your son would not feel the pride he feels if he didn't know the goals he had ahead of him. Well done him!
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Kim Douillard
3/24/2021 06:43:03 pm
You capture some of my frustrations with report cards--that gentle balance between honesty and encouragement with an instrument that doesn't alway cooperate with you. I will be writing report cards the remainder of the week--and meeting with parents next week. Thanks for the reminder to stay positive and keep the student central to my thinking!
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Brian Rozinsky
3/24/2021 07:19:09 pm
At the secondary level where I operate, the dynamics change in some respects, but grades and conventional means of arriving at and reporting them increasingly strike me as problematic. I'm hungry for better ways to reflect and motivate learning.
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Kathleen, being a parent and a teacher at the same time is messy and complex and tricky. And that's especially true when we're having conversations about progress and development. For me, it wasn't just about the report cards - we had our trickiest moments when it came to conferences.
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AuthorKathleen Neagle Sokolowski Archives
February 2024
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