The first trimester grading period ended about a week ago. Soon, students will receive their report card grades and teacher comments. The majority of teachers in my school have been carefully crafting the right words to be placed on the report card. These comments often communicate how the students are learning compared to the standard, possible struggles, and next steps to improve their learning journey. The report cards are usually sent home via backpack and most students gravitate towards the letter grade that is at the top of the report card. My school isn’t standards-based so that letter grade is often a place of emphasis. The rest of the report cards components come secondary. I’ve noticed this trend for years. This year I’m changing up this process to help students understand and reflect on their own learning before they receive their actual report cards. I decided to create an activity based on Hattie’s self-reported grades influencer.
In preparation for this activity I filled out each report card with comments that I thought were appropriate. These comments mentioned the scope and sequence of math skills explored during the trimester. They also communicated what students could bolster during the second trimester. I left the actual grade portion of the report card blank. I also left the MS, LS, AC and NI blank. These were for students to fill out.
I gave each student their partially filled out report card and student file. The student file contains all of the unit assessments for the first trimester. Students were also asked to use their math reflection journal during this activity. This tended to help empower the students as they were given all the tools needed to fill out their own report card. Before students started to assess themselves I decided to review what the MS, LS, AC and NI meant.
This took the most time, but I feel like it was worthwhile as students were connecting how particular math skills fit within certain learning goals. They started to analyze their unit assessments, journal and reflection sheets to determine whether they mastered the skill or not.
After students filled out their report card I met with them 1:1 for about five minutes. We had a productive conversation regarding where the student assessed themselves. Sometimes the students were right on point, while other times they were very critical of their own performance. The process of reviewing their own performance brought a new meaning to the actual report card. Some students also asked questions about the comments and asked that certain items to be taken out or added.
When the report cards come out I find the students have a few different reactions. Some students shove the report card into their backpack while others critically analyze their results in preparation to answer questions from their parents. In an instant, the amount of effort and time spent in crafting the right words can easily be ignored or highlighted. I’m thinking that this activity will help students to start to see their report in a different light. Self-assessing takes time, but this is an activity that I plan on using during the second and third trimesters.
Educational Aspirations 