Report Card Comments

The second trimester is over.  Parent conferences are next week.  And my report cards are finally done. Writing the comments on the report cards is something that I always spend a considerable amount of time agonizing over.   I figure I have written thousands of comments in my 20+ years, but finding just the right descriptors for each student can be a real challenge--words have such power.  I want to give specific information that can be helpful to my students and their parents.  My kiddos are old enough to understand what the comments on their report cards mean, and they read them with interest.  It is important that they have something to be proud of and something to work toward or maintain.  The ones who aren't working up to their potential need to know that I expect them to do better and that I believe they are capable of it.

I don't know about you all, but when I am stuck on a comment, I type, delete, type, delete, etc--it is so frustrating.  I will often head out to the Internet searching for inspiration.  Often I will come across the perfect phrase that gets me over the hump and keeps my finger from viciously stabbing the delete button once again. I wanted to share some of the comments that I have written this year, just in case any of you out there need a phrase or a paragraph.  

Here are a few (with the generic names of "Joe" and "Jen")--

Joe is a capable student.  When he applies himself, he can produce good work.  However, he has many missing assignments this grading period which have significantly impacted his grades.  Please make sure to check his student planner every Friday evening as missing work is noted in there on a weekly basis.  With greater effort, I know that Joe’s grades would be more reflective of his abilities.   In mathematics, Joe has greater difficulty.  He understands the concepts that he learns but struggles with retention and basic computation. He regularly receives interventions in this subject and I encourage him to spend extra time at home working with basic skills  Joe works well with others and is well-liked by his peers. I have enjoyed getting to know him.

Jen has continued to make good progress toward meeting grade level Common Core standards.  Overall, she has put more effort into her work this grading period and should be proud of her hard work.  In the area of Language Arts, I encourage Jen to work on her word choice and sentence structure to increase the complexity of her writing.  She grasps new concepts in math, but would benefit by developing the habit of checking to see if her answers make sense.  Jen is an active participant in classroom discussions and is a real asset to the classroom.

Joe has continued to make progress toward meeting Common Core grade level standards.  He enjoys learning new things and working with technology.  Joe has continued to monitor his understanding of new material by asking questions when confused and contributing to classroom discussions.  Completing work in a timely manner has been a greater challenge for him this trimester, and I encourage him to use his time more productively in the classroom and to spend extra time at home to finish assignments if needed.   Joe is well-liked by others and is a natural leader.

Jen has continued to make progress toward meeting Common Core grade level standards this trimester.  She has put forth more effort to complete her assignments in a timely manner, but there is still room for improvement in this area.  Jen would benefit by making sure to focus on instruction and to ask clarifying questions when unsure of a new skill or the criteria of an assignment.  She has made improvements in her interactions with other students in the classroom as well as her attitude.  I am impressed by her efforts.

Joe has continued to make progress toward meeting grade level standards.  He is an active participant in all many classroom discussions, and he is able to convey his thoughts clearly.  In math, Joe fully understands the concepts, but he would benefit by checking over his work.  He needs to be sure to learn the different procedures for finding solutions as he tends to rely on his exceptional number sense skills. In the area of reading, Joe still needs to fully support his responses with solid evidence from the text and clear explanations.  He is a voracious reader and his comprehension is excellent. When Joe puts forth effort to produce quality work, he is always successful.  I enjoy hearing his ideas as his perspectives are interesting and thought-provoking.

Here is the link to a few pages of comments.  Please feel free to use any or all that you find helpful.  If you would like me to email you an editable copy of them, feel free to shoot me an email.