“Encouragement is oxygen for the soul.”
One of the important duties of a teacher is to evaluate the students and assess their growth and development. Continuous evaluation, online tests, and discussions are necessary to keep track of your student’s growth. Report cards are an inevitable part of the classroom and the comments that teachers leave on report cards carry a huge weight.
Quite often, teachers are confused as to how to write these comments. They are caught between criticism and positive affirmation. The point is to strike the right balance and to choose a firm voice while writing these comments.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the things that you should keep in mind when you are writing report card comments.
How to Write Report Card Comments?
Before writing the comments, keep in mind that these comments will stay with the students for a long time and anything harsh that you may say will have a negative impact on them. Yes, you have to be honest and point out their mistakes but you should always try and strike a balance.
Be Compassionate
One of the most important things that you should keep in mind when writing comments on report cards is to be compassionate. You need to empathize with your students. There might be numerous reasons why they didn’t perform well. As a teacher, you would know their capacity. Make sure not to kill their spirits. Understand what is holding them back and write the report card comments accordingly. Remember not to be too harsh.
Just think how would you feel if your teacher were to say that to you when you were a student. Always bear this in mind.
Critical Appreciation is the Key
How can you not be harsh and still say the truth? Critical appreciation is the key! Point out their qualities that stand out. Every kid is different and you should recognize this more than anybody else. Underline their strong points and points where they can improve. This way, they will be that they are good but just need to work on certain things. This will also encourage students to do better the next time around.
Example- XYZ is an active listener and a punctual student. If you were to give a little more attention to your reading and writing skills, you will reach heights!
Create a comment repository
Research is of paramount importance when it comes to writing report card comments. There are countless samples of report card comments that are available on the internet. Just go through them and get an idea of what and how you can say things. Create a repository of such comments and use it as guidance or reference. As mentioned, these comments should just be a reference point. The comment repository is just to give you an idea. Since those comments are not written with your students in mind, make sure not to use the same ones. This brings us to our next point.
Keep it Authentic
You know your students the best. You know what they are good at and what they are not. Similarly, your students know you. They would know if your comments are not authentic. Make sure to keep your tine original and authentic. Since you have a strong rapport with your students, personalize the comments and be genuine. Use your usual voice and reaffirm faith in your students.
Create a checklist
Before starting to write the comments, create a checklist of what are the things that you want to cover. It is advisable to categorize the checklist. For instance, it can be divided into three. Students who are performing well in academics, students who are average, and those who need improvement. What are the general things that you want to be covered under these categories? Write that down first. Then comes the individual comments. If a student is not performing well academically, that does not mean that they are not talented or brilliant. Each kid is different and their forte might be different. Acknowledge that and write your comments accordingly.
Read More: Top Ideas For A Team Appreciation Event
Conclusion
As mentioned above, report card comments can have a huge impact on students. It is not easy to be a teacher. While a lot of people think that teaching is an easy job, it has its own challenges. Teaching is a job that encompasses a lot of duties and responsibilities. With the education landscape changing every day, it is important to stay on top of the game and bring your students up to speed. The landscape is ever-changing and ever-evolving. For instance, Online classes are the new normal now and it is pivotal to have regular feedback sessions with your students. These things will help to have better learning outcomes and thus, commenting will become easier!
Hope these tips helped you. We will be back with more exciting and interesting content. Stay tuned and happy teaching!
