In a recent interaction with students, I asked them how they felt about the upcoming report cards. Honestly, I wondered if students even thought about report cards at all. Perhaps they are just for the adults? Their responses were a little surprising! Students said things like;
- I am scared of bad marks
- I am worried that I will get in trouble
- I have bad feelings about them
- I am worried because I don’t know how I am doing
On the flip side, students who knew they were doing well at school, were excited about the report card because they knew it would be a strong report, with good grades. They felt that they would be proud to share it with others.
This made me think about what feedback we give our kids about their report cards, especially the ones that have lower grades. As a parent, I know it is not ideal to see low marks on your child’s report card. However, I think of the Dr. Ross Green quote, “Kids do well if they can”. Why would a kid want to do poorly? Wouldn’t it be in their best interest to have an awesome report card, if they could? What sort of barriers might they have to thriving academically/socially?
Whatever the case may be, our hope is that the report cards will provide useful feedback and help to identify areas that need support. Fear and worry are just not very helpful for student learning and growth.
Have a great month,
Dale Martens – Principal
in: General