My school is quirky; and for those of you who know me well, that is a perfect fit. We end every school year with a special Bridging Ceremony in order to help us say goodbye for the year and look forward to the next school year.
Half of the class leaves after the ceremony; leaving a few stragglers behind for the last hour of the day. We spend the time taking everything off the walls, organizing materials, and cleaning up. Then final hugs goodbye -- and the puffins are gone for the summer. The school is quiet, empty. The staff has a final goodbye lunch together, sharing memories and making plans for the summer. Then the school year is over. The sun is shining -- and yet, report cards loom on the horizon.
Now I realize that my school is different (see quirky above); but one of the things that we do well are narrative report cards. These are intended (and I believe accomplish) to paint a picture of each child and their strengths and challenges in varies academic and social areas. They are one of our strengths, but they are a beast.
This is my attempt to document how I get report cards done -- partially to get sympathy and support from those around me who already know I work incredibly hard; but also for those naysayers who don't have a true understanding of what it is like to be a teacher.
Saturday June 16th, 2012
- 9am -- Early Wake Up Call
- 10am -- Eric makes breakfast
- 11am -- Report Card Begins.
- Agenda: Grade Science Work Samples (estimate time: 90 minutes)
- Job: Evaluate written student science reports in four main areas: framing the investigation, designing the investigation, collecting and presenting data, analyzing and interpreting results
- 28 students x 8 page assignments = 224 pages to review/analyze
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