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These were the only teacher comments on a 10th grader’s English Honors progress report card. (I believe these are all canned comments that the teachers select from a menu when they’re preparing these reports.)
When they read this report, his parents went through their usual routine of asking their son what he thought about this comment and what action might he take to improve his performance.
Son told his parents that every day the class breaks into groups to discuss three questions the teacher has for them. Each student writes down responses to the questions and the teacher randomly collects one set of responses from each group. Son said he’s usually the leader of his group. When asked why he claimed to be the leader, he said the other kids usually ask him what they should write down and he tells them.
Then, son remarked that maybe the teacher wants him to ask more questions as a way of showing more participation. Maybe he should not complete all the assigned reading each night. That way, he said with a note of sarcasm, he might have more questions.
Parents know their son is extremely bright, and he hates to make waves. They’re not sure if his perception of this situation is entirely accurate, but they’re confident that there is some essential truth in it.
Parents yearn for the days when “chalk and talk” was more common than group chats in the classroom. They are thankful that at least the math teacher told them he’s not using “class participation” as a factor for calculating grades.
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12 comments:
" (I believe these are all canned comments that the teachers select from a menu when they’re preparing these reports.)"
Depending on the electronic gradebook they use, they probably are. Our gradebook has a menu of sorts where you can select which comment you want printed on the report card.
If I input "11" or "22" in a square in the gradebook, then the report card will read something like Does Not Complete Homework, or Asset To The Class.
I never use these. I call home or email, for positive or negative.
Our school district recently switched to a 'standards based' report card. This means that teachers no longer create their own comments about kids, they know choose from the list.
The parents dislike it. The good teachers dislike it. They are completely unhelpful. Someone in Hartford probably creates a list of about 10 comments that all teachers through the state use to evaluate the students of Connecticut. Because honestly, is there anything else you really need to say?
I try to keep an e-mail conversation going with teachers about my kids progress. The report cards are hopeless.
From a high school teacher's point of view, I can tell you how valuable and appreciated email correspondance from parents is (for most teachers).
I know people may get tired of teachers banging the "I have X number of students" drum, but in high school, especially large high schools, any parent who is willing to initiate contact with me through email is going to get at least a 24 hour response time, usually much less. I try to average 2-3 hours, and I can email from home in the evenings and on weekends, whereas I won't call from my home outside school hours.
Because I do prefer home contact, I'm generally working from a list - and because I document so much - I can only make so many phone calls during a conference period. (Today I spent an hour making 4 phone calls, because the numbers listed in the gradebook were incorrect and I had to track down a working number through the AP office and the nurse's emergency contact cards.) Students who are failing take priority, and I work my way through the classes as quickly as I can.
Those parents who contact me once a week (or whenever) put themselves on my priority list, if only because email is such an easy and quick response. A parent and I can solve a problem within hours of the same day through email, whereas phone calls lead to phone tag and etc.
wow
Our teachers 6-12 don't answer email, generally.
It's possible there's starting to be some pressure on them to do so....but I've always gotten blown off a HUGE amount.
We had a huge dust-up with our school back when C. was in 6th grade over the canned comments.
They sent the report cards out ON XMAS EVE. Lots of kids got whole sheets full of horrible comments, including C.
My friend P's son got such lousy comments that she and her husband had a knock-down drag-out because he'd gotten the kids some expensive game system when their loser kid clearly didn't deserve it.
I must say, Ed and I (don't know how many other parents worked on this unbeknownst to us) put a stop to the nasty Canned Comments practice, at least where our own child is concerned.
We get either nice canned comments or OK canned comments and that's the end of it.
The former asst principal (& principal, I think) of the middle school told a meeting of parents -- implied, I should say -- that they couldn't allow the middle school teachers to write comments, because they might say something inappropriate.
Basically they told us the canned comments protect them from the parents.
Have I mentioned recently the fact that my district needs reform?
We have no choice about using those canned comments. As for phone calls, the schools give us no free time to make them. Also, in my schools, there are very few private phones to use. Computers are also at a minimum. Sending letters home helps, but they too ae usually a form with a bunch of check marks.
I try to mail home copies of exams. If the parents are concerned, they will contact me and then I always get back to them.
Our school district does a pretty job with response time. Emails are almost always answered in a timely manner; the only exceptions that I know of are the teachers who aren't fond of email, and they typically make this known at back-to-school night.
Also, on back to school night (at both the junior high and the high school), the teachers typically provide the parents with the time of their planning period, so that parents can call in during that time if they wish to speak directly to the teacher.
We have a severe problem between parents and the middle school. SEVERE. It's pretty much a war; that's not too strong a term.
I don't know how to fix it, apart from establishing a policy of accountability, i.e. teachers being responsible for student achievement when the student has attended class, paid attention, done the homework, etc.
That would be a HUGE help.
(The assistant superintendent is working on this, actually; she's introducing ----- HOLD YOUR BREATH ---- FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ------ )
In the meantime, the middle school desperately needs to create opportunities for middle school teachers and parents to be around each other NOT in a situation of conflict.
As matters stand, the only contact parents have with teachers happens when things are going badly.
That is NUTS, especially in the present situation.
They need to set up some kind of School Resource Center where parents could come in and help with homework, tutor, etc. -- teachers would be involved, overseeing things on some kind of rotating basis --- you'd be doing a good deed for the kids; you'd be getting teachers & parents together; probably getting some feedback on whether the kids can do their homework on their own or not....
I'm going to suggest this during the Comments section of the Site Committee Meeting tomorrow.
I'm sure this idea will be a huge hit.
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