For summer school, we weren't assigning grades. We teachers got to write little paragraphs about each student that then went home on a little progress report. The only number score was the words they read in a minute, both on the first day of school and towards the last.
(Don't ask me how long that took. You don't want to hear me whine about it.)
We were to send the progress reports home with the students on the last day.
As I was in a borrowed classroom, I had no supplies. My aide went and found me a stapler. I went through and folded each progress report, wrote on the outside "to the parents of", and I stapled them shut.
Near the end of first period, I passed them out to the students.
And, of course, the inevitable happened.
Every single student opened their progress reports. Every. Single. One.
Sigh.
Why did I bother to staple the things?
What did the numbers mean? One student was trying to make a 74 into a percentage. But another student's 126 then didn't fit that narrative.
"Remember sitting with me and reading those paragraphs for a minute? The score is how many words you read in that minute."
They had done their post assessment the previous day, so it wasn't like they didn't remember.
It wasn't like there wasn't anything in the reports that they shouldn't see. However, I could not explain their math grades. (I didn't know what assessment they had done for that.)
Summer school is now over. Now I really get to take a summer vacation.
(Maybe. The alternative education center starts up next week and the continuation high school starts the week after that.)
I don't see much of a vacation in your future.
ReplyDeleteI am so bored! It only took about three days for me to remember why I agreed to the summer school class in the first place. I knew how I get when I have this much time off.
DeleteI hope you wait to sign up for more teaching until AFTER you finish my book! :P
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've earned a vacation!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I suppose I have. Thanks.
DeleteI would love to be off..oh well. This sounds like a nightmare if frustration to me
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting.
DeleteEnjoy in your summer vacation. You really deserve it.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteIt's a shame they all opened the reports! Here in Australia they email the reports direct to the parents - to save paper and maybe so kids don't get to read them? I always love going over them with my boys, it's sweet to see how well they do and make sure they know how proud I am of them! :)
ReplyDeleteHope you are having a nice weekend :)
Away From The Blue
Usually report cards are mailed home. But this was voluntary summer school, so the rules were relaxed.
DeleteI don't know if they still use letter grade or not. I had letter grade all though school. But my son didn't have letter grade until they were in 4th grade
ReplyDeleteSuper blog
ReplyDeletePlease read my post
ReplyDeleteI can image how eagerly you are looking forward to your vacation.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get at least a little bit of a vacation.
ReplyDeleteI've had a week so far. No schools are in session until Wednesday, so so far, so good.
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