On Friday afternoon a parent asked me what I was doing for the weekend.
I replied that I would be spending the day on Sunday at school preparing for report cards. She replied with: “Really, the Preps will get report cards?…….at this age?” God bless her. I didn’t want to shock her even more with the fact that they would be graded A – E for both academics and effort.
As I prepare for the reporting onslaught that is ahead of me I am finding it really hard as I want to give all my 4,5 and 6 year olds an A grade. Honestly they are ALL doing the best for where they are at on their own learning journey. Yes, there are some kids doing more than others but that is OK because I know each child is doing the best for where they are at.
I shudder with the wording for report cards - very high, limited, partially and support required (I have four years olds in my class – of course they need support!).
I wonder about the impact these words and grades have on both parents and students at this early stage of their schooling.
I always tell parents that as not all children learn to walk at exactly the same age, the same goes for reading. They will all start reading at different ages (and let’s not forget I have Preps who are born 11 months apart – they are NOT the same age anyway!). So it does seem unfair to then grade them as a unified group on what they are doing right now.
My preference would be a portfolio of the students work given to parents and a meeting to discuss what they are doing and where we will be heading to next on their learning journey.
Well, that’s enough wishing for today, I better get back to my A, B, C, D and E’s.
I do sometimes wonder if I were being graded as the teacher what grade would I get?
