Tips for Writing Constructive Report Card Comments

I have a feeling that the next several weeks are going FLY by between the state standardized tests looming on the horizon, Presidents Day, not to mention the school closings we've had for cold days...  I'm going to blink and suddenly report cards will be right around the corner!  I don't know about you, but I've always felt like the comments I write on my report cards are so much more important than the grades themselves.  I mean come on, it's third and fourth grade.  So much of my teaching and assessment comes from things that never get graded, like guided reading anecdotal notes and observations during math guided groups.  I feel like what I write about my students in the comments section gives parents far more valuable information about students' progress and goals.  Here are some rules of thumb I use when writing my comments:

• Write comments up in a table in Word before copying and pasting into report cards.  I typically make a table with three columns, one for each trimester, so I can compare the comments side-by-side throughout the year.  Not only does this help me focus on students' progress rather than where they are at that particular moment, but it helps make sure I don't repeat myself too much--come on, we've all been there. :)  Plus, it makes it way easier to spell check and proofread!

In the past, I did one big comment for each student covering everything.  Now, we're required to do a separate comment for each subject area.  A little more complicated, but it works.

• Sandwich any negative comments between two positive ones, even if the first is something as simple as, "I have enjoyed working with ____ this trimester!"  Also, any time I am discussing a negative or challenging behavior, I make sure to introduce it with a comment like, "As we have discussed," or "As I shared with you at conferences..."  This reminds paretns that you have spoken with them about this particular concern already, and that this is not a surprise.  (Of course, this only works if you HAVE discussed the concern with paretns already--sooo be sure to do that!  There should be no surprises on the report card.)

• Speaking of no surprises, if a student is not doing so well grade wise, save yourself a lot of headache by calling or emailing parents in advance.  It's always so much easier to have those conversations in person or on the phone--report card grades leave so much room for interpretation without a personal explanation.  Better head that off in advance.

• Give concrete information in comments.  For example, in reading, when a child is below grade level I might say, "___ is currently reading at a level M.  Grade level for this point in third grade is levels N/O.  ___ is able to answer questions from within the text and make simple inferences while reading.  We are working on reading with expression, using context clues to determine the meaning of tricky words, and making thoughtful inferences about the text."  Similarly, in math I may say something like,
  "This trimester _____ has demonstrated a good understanding of multiplication and division.  ___ is working on applying these skills to solve word problems and problems with multiple steps.  

• Focus on the positive.  This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you need to write a comment about a negative behavior a student is working on, it's all in the wording!  For example, I might write something on a report card like, "____ does her best work when she focuses on instruction and follows directions the first time."  Much more constructive than, "___ needs to follow directions and listen to the teacher," right?  Another example would be, "___ is most successful when he comes to school prepared with his homework and materials."  

Sorry for the lack of pictures in this one!  Not much of a picture-worthy post.  Oh well :)

Dear Mr. Principal,

Mr. Principal.  Please, for the love of god, give us a break.

No, I'm serious.  Here's the thing.  We're all doing the best we can.  And while I know that you do know this in theory, it certainly doesn't feel like it these days.  Your list of demands and "requests" (aka demands coated in a frosting of "please," "thank you," "would you mind...," and "why don't you try...") needs to stop growing, or we are going to lost it.

Yes, I am preparing for the ISAT tests.  I am sucking the life out of my students and myself with every test prep packet, but I am following your directions.  I'm doing what you ask.  And while it's true that there will be no surprises on test day for my kids, there will also likely be no energy left.  And it still won't go back in time and force my kids' parents to read to them when they were little.  It still won't help my undiagnosed ADD kids with uncooperative parents keep their brains on topic through a 2 hour test.  It still won't help my emotionally distressed students with difficult home lives focus on something so meaningless.  But I promise, I'm doing my best.

Yes, I will have my kids ready for conferences.  It didn't help that you and others in the building decided that conferences day would be a great day to hold a school-wide reading event that involved every teacher preparing published pieces of their students' writing.  It wasn't fun staying late at school to laminate book covers and bind books.  And while the finished products are amazing, it was a lot of stress during a trying time.  Don't worry, I will still make time to rehearse with the students so they are ready to "lead" conferences as you've requested.  Don't worry, I will gather my "data" and be prepared to share it.  Don't worry.  It will all get done.  But know that I will need to take class time to get the students ready for conferences.  And that means less time for test prep.  And literacy.  And writing.  And everything else you'd like me to squeeze in the day.

Yes, I will have my report cards ready to go in a few weeks.  I know it's not you that chooses to make report cards due right before testing and right after conferences.  I understand that sometimes you are as powerless as I am.  But please listen when I say that I already know comments have to be specific and detailed; there is no need to remind us of that these coming weeks.

Yes, I am filling out RTI.  And even though I am wondering why the special services teachers are not helping me more with this, or why I am always the one setting up the meetings on these kids and not the specialists that see them daily for the interventions these meetings evaluate, but I smile and bite my lip and do it anyways because I care about the kids too much to wait for someone else to pick up the ball.  Oh and also, THANK YOU for asking me if I'm planning on meeting to finish the RTI form for my student who MOVED to a different school in district.  Sure.  Why not.  I'll take time to continue meeting about him even though he is no longer my student.  Add it to the list.

Oh, and Mr. Principal, THANK YOU for adding to all of the stress that you've already created by deciding to email the non-tenured teachers today to just let us know that you will be popping in for an unannounced observation in the next few weeks.  Of course, I would be happy to submit detailed lesson plans in every subject to you so you are able to choose a time to observe...Of course, I will be flexible and make sure every subject is stellar so that, since you have decided not to tell us the subject you are observing in advance, I feel confident in every area "just in case."  And after the observation, I will be happy to smile and nod as we discuss the 100 other "suggestions" of things I could be making time for in my day.  When in reality, we barely have time to teach period with all of the other hoops we are all jumping through.

Mr. Principal, I know you support me.  I know you care about me.  But please, please, please give us all a break.  Acknowledge that we are doing our best.  And please don't ask us for anything else right now.  Have mercy.

Sincerely,
Miss Teacher

My Sleepy Afternoon

I had great intentions for this afternoon.  Honestly, I did.  I had three separate to-do lists.  I was going to be SO productive because the house was quiet tonight.  It was going to be FANTASTIC.  Really, it was.

Miss Teacher's Great Plan for Being Productive this evening:

• great student reading response prompts
• since that's the last reading grade i'm taking for the trimester, enter it into my online grade book, obtain my trimester average reading grades, and plug them into the report card
• fill in report card indicators for reading
• grade math test
• ditto on math grades
• respond the the journal letters my new student wrote me about her old homes in Georgia, and (get this!!) Dubai!!  
• buy Cookie Crisp for tomorrow's division lesson
• short run

Miss Teacher's Actual Evening:

• Ran to store to get cookie crisp and walked home (BAM.  two tasks completed in one.  promising start!)
• Ate PBJ and a yogurt/cereal bowl (nothing says LAZY like this kind of dinner...but seriously not only was I lazy, but I was STARVING when I made it home!!!  There was no way I would have been able to make it long enough to actually cook something!)
• Fell asleep on the couch from 6:30-8 (this started out as, "I'm a little cold, I'll just get under the blanket...well, I might as well lay down to be cozier...well, why not rest my eyes...")
• Woke up, decided that NOW I was going to be productive
• Naturally, changed into comfy pants and relocated to my BED under ANOTHER BLANKET with my grading.  Because of course this is the perfect place for productive work...
• Fell asleep from 9-11.  (during which time I had a disturbing dream that I decided to be part of a "survey" at the mall that involved me drinking BLOOD.  just a tablespoon, but ew.  and hello, unsafe???  I was very worried in the dream but for some reason did it anyways.  I did not taste as I expected, in case you were wondering...)

In summary, this day was one big epic fail of productivity.  I blame the time change.  I now want to do NOTHING after 5 ever.   Let's home this day isn't indicitive of either my entire winter or even the rest of the week.  With report cards due Monday and an observation tomorrow morning, let's hope I get my act together!!!

parent conferences--check!

This past week was one of the longest, most exhausting ones so far this year. I was at school every day for at least 12 hours preparing preparing for conferences in addition to my regular thousand and a half things to do. But, miraculously, I made it through the week and all my conferences (minus one to be made up Monday and two that will happen over the phone next week). Conferences were not too scary. We had both the parents and the student at the conferences, which I loved. I got to discuss my concerns, but it was more of a conversation between all of us. When I showed examples of the poor quality of work I was receiving from some students, the parent got to talk to the student about it right then. I'm hoping that this will result in some changes in certain students next week. *fingers crossed* Most of the parents were completely supportive and even the ones who I had to discuss some issues with were on the same page as me. How refreshing. One parent commented that she hasn't been getting anything sent home that I'd actually graded, but honestly that is her child's fault because he is so freaking disorganized that nothing seems to make it home. I cannot go home with him and place it neatly on the table for mom to see. I'm doing what I can.

Anyways, now that conferences are done, the next big looming event in the future is...REPORT CARDS. They are still over a month away, but I know that they will be here before I know it. So...I guess I need to teach some science and social studies! Slap some points on things, get a grade in the grade book, etc. Yikes.

On that note, it's off to starbucks to grade papers and write lesson plans...