What if we could eliminate the mystery and struggle of report cards?
In recent years, I worked with students in 5th and 6th grade to write self-reflective report cards.
The first step was to be transparent about learning goals throughout a unit of study:
Sharing essential questions with students/parents
Reiterating skills strategies and expectations
Using rubrics to assess work
Completing multiple drafts of projects
Giving and using feedback
Writing reflections on process and product after completing assignments.
At the end of a marking period, students wrote reflective reports about areas of strength and challenge. This allowed them to emphasize topics and considerations important to their learning that even a vigilant teacher might not capture.
Using this information, I conferenced with students about their goals. We identified actions to take going forward. Finally, I edited student reflections for clarity, and added final comments before publishing them.
My students' self-reflective report cards provided a detailed portrait of student learning, and clear action steps to meet future goals. This process reduced the stress, mystery and struggle of traditional narrative reports and vague number/letter grades.
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