Our Report Cards – Photo, and Typical Comments I Write Each Term

Here is a photo of the report cards we use at our American school. We need to give a grade in each subject, and write a comment for each subject. It normally takes me in excess of 40 hours (all at home, spread over about three weeks) to do this for a whole class of close to 30 students. During the Fall term, knowing the students and their work less well than in subsequent terms, it takes me about 60 hours. Not only do these have to be handwritten, but there is a second permanent record form where we have to recopy all of this by hand! So I am including all this in the time I have stated above.

Our school is about to computerize, which I’m hoping will save time, but we won’t know until we do it (especially since we don’t have any computers in our classroom, sometimes the computer lab at the other end of the building is not available, and often the internet is not working in my country–our computerized system is based in America, so we need to use the internet to access it).

The report cards as above I’ve been writing for the fourteen years I’ve been with our school. So these are soon to go defunct. However, we are not to have preassigned comments with numbers, or anything like that. After computerizing, they want us to keep personalized comments for each student, as below.

Please read the comments below, as I’m curious to know what readers, and especially other teachers, think about this.

Here are the grades and comments typical of what I might write on a hypothetical student’s report card (a compilation of comments from several students’ report cards):

Reading: B

Good.

Reading Comprehension: B

Inadequate preparation at home of some preassigned essay questions for the comprehension test. Good work on mastering new story vocabulary.

Oral Expression in Reading – B

Ahmed knows how to read aloud correctly, but shyness prevents him from reading aloud confidently and authoritatively.

Language (Speaking Grammar in English): B-

Some problems with correctly conjugating verbs in the present tense in his spoken English. This problem carries over into Ahmed’s writing.

Composition: C

Problem with writing in sentence fragments. Sometimes leaves out words. Need to remember to indent. Ahmed writes about interesting and exciting ideas!

Spelling Tests: B-

(At the beginning of the year, parents are informed that spelling tests will be graded on also requiring correct handwriting. For example, m’s and n’s must have the correct number of humps, and capital letters where they do not belong will cause the word to be marked wrong, even if it is spelled correctly. )

Many points lost on tests early in the termfor unacceptable handwriting.

Spelling Skills in Writing: A

Very good attention to spelling details. Ahmed uses and remembers what he does already know.

Mathematics: D

Severe trouble with rounding and patterns on the tests. However, his general math understanding is better than his grades indicate.

Social Studies: A-

Very good! Ahmed loves geography and history.

Science: B+

Ahmed enjoys science.

Computer Class: B

Very good (Comment from computer teacher.)

Art: B-

Improving. Must cooperate better. (Comment from art teacher.)

Music

Not always attentive. (Comment from music teacher.)

Handwriting

Has made dramatic improvements, but still having trouble with the formation of certain letters (k, m, n, f). Continued trouble with correct proportion, and must take care to have a consistent forward slant.

Physical Education: C

Can do better. Lacks enthusiasm. Consistently tardy before and after class. (Comment from P.E. teacher.)

Class Participation: A-

Shy, but does participate well when he has something to say.

Work Habits: B-

Often distracted and thinking about other things. Ahmed often seems to lack energy. Is he eating well? Is he getting enough sleep?

Social Behavior: A

Excellent

Days Tardy: 12

Please, would it be possible to have Ahmed arrive at the gate about fifteen minutes earlier? Students should be coming in the gate at 8:20, so that they have time to put their things away, and be seated in their chairs, ready to work, at 8:35. Ahmed generally arrives in our room about 8:40 and disrupts the lesson while he puts his things away. Thank you!

Days Absent: 0

Please, comments from readers? (Thanks!)

Eileen

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