Why does it feel like we just finished report card writing and now we’ve turned around and have to do it all over again? Report card writing has to be my least favourite teacher task. The kids and parents put so much value on this document that detracts from the actual learning that has taken place.
With that being said, here are 5 tips to help you beat the overwhelm and get back to the fun parts of our job.
1. Input grades throughout the term
First of all, this tip may not be the most timely – especially if you haven’t been inputting grades throughout the term. But believe me when I say it saved me HOURS of work. Once you finish marking an assignment, input their grades in a spreadsheet or your gradebook. You can even have a second spreadsheet to keep track of missing assignments. A week or two before you start writing report card comments, hand students lists of missing work. This will give you time to mark it before you need to calculate their final grades.
2. Refer to student reflections while writing report card comments
If you are anything like me, I cannot remember all the extra-curricular activities my students were involved in. I don’t always keep track of the books they’ve read and sometimes I don’t know what activities they loved or what they struggled with. Middle Schoolers do not give up information easily! To avoid the whole “staring mindlessly at the computer screen for hours” thing, consider giving students a monthly reflection that you can refer to.
You might try my Monthly Reflections if you don’t currently have a reflection that is working for you. This Monthly Reflection has everything you will need to follow my Learning Skills comment structure below. It includes sections for goal-setting and tracking, activities students enjoyed or found difficult, a learning skills self-assessment.
3. Set up your workspace
Now that you’ve done the work throughout the year it is time to set up your workspace. First and foremost, you will need to set up your workspace. Find an area free of distractions and get your favourite pump-up tunes or quiet music going.
You should also, most definitely, get some snacks. Be healthy if you want to, but my favourite snacks are popcorn, mini eggs and Skittles. Grab your water (or coffee or wine) and get ready to write!
4. Start with a structure
The secret to writing the perfect learning skills comment is to have a structure.
- General comment (Kishan is a cooperative member of our class. He sets an example for his classmates through his enthusiasm for learning.)
- Interests – this is where the reflection comes in handy. What does Kishan enjoy learning about? (He enjoys activities like poetry that allow him to express his thoughts and feelings.)
- Pride (Kishan is proud of how he learned to use an open array to multiply as it gave him the confidence to try out a new multiplication strategy.)
- Learning Skills – Strengths, Areas of Need and Next Steps
In Ontario, we have specific learning skills (responsibility, organization, independent work, collaboration, initiative, self-regulation) that we need to report on. (Kishan displays responsibility by always fulfilling his commitments to Safety Patrol. There have been times when Kishan has not handed in his assignments on time. As a next step, he needs to ensure he consults his agenda or Google Classroom when completing work at home to make sure he has finished everything that is required.)
5. Decide on your approach to writing report card comments
How well do you function under pressure? If you are like me, maybe you thrive under a deadline. In that case, set aside a large block of time and just pump those comments out.
Maybe that approach is a bit too stressful for you. Instead, figure out how many comments you need to write and make yourself a schedule. Try to write 2-4 learning skill comments a day until you are done.
If you’ve been looking for a collection of report card comments, consider it done! This resource for report card writing will not only save you hours of work but will help you to clearly communicate what your students’ strengths, areas of need and next steps for improvement are. Check it out here.
I’m Lauren, from “From Math to Music” – your go-to person for all things Math and Classroom Community.
Being a middle-school teacher and a mom of 3, I know how hard it is for busy teachers to create resources that allow for deep thinking and build classroom community. That's why I love sharing tips and tricks that you can you use in your middle school classroom right this minute.
