Yesterday I had the joy of handing out my first batch of report cards. It was so interesting, yet again, to be on the other end of something I've experienced for most of my life. And the kids' responses were also interesting: a strange combination of anticipation and terror.
What surprised me was the astonishment that some students exhibited upon seeing a bad grade. How can you not realize when you're failing Latin? Wouldn't the succession of F's on quizzes and tests give you a clue?
Happily most of the grades I handed out were A's and B's. I did have a few C's, but only one was a C-. One of these C's was given to someone totally unprepared, however. That wasn't much fun, because she kind of crushed. I could understand that, since she's received mostly A's and B's on her tests. But it was the 38% on that one test that did it. Sigh. The good news, though, is that I went back to check my gradebook and discovered that it was really a C+! She was happier with that.
As the students all left, and the classroom was empty and quiet, I said to myself, "I miss getting a report card." I miss the excitement of opening it up, pulling it out, and doing the quick scan followed by the careful reading. I miss taking it home and hearing Dad say, "This is boring. Can't you do any better than that?" This was said, of course, as a total joke, which gave me great joy every time.
As I left my classroom to go home I saw two fellow teachers chatting in the hall. "I miss getting a report card," I said to them. There was a momentary pause as they both looked at me, and then they said in perfect unison, "I don't!"
7 comments:
I haven't gotten a report card in years, what with the homeschooling aspect and being out of school entirely for eight years, but I always look back in glee and laugh at what my teachers had to write. Generally about being a bright child who was very... and then they would put all kinds of things that made "this child talks A LOT" sound nice :)
I think there's always that hope that even if you're doing poorly on tests, maybe the teacher will boost your grade because you participate in class or just because they like you.
And this is an appropriate time to give a tribute to all those teachers who drop your lowest grade when figuring your average. :-) (And to think it could have been you...)
I never feared report cards. But I can live without them, that is for sure...
This post is boring, can't you do any better?
report cards became less important as the years went by. This is especially true when it wasn't required for my mom to sign it. I can honestly say I usually knew my grade before the report cards were handed out. So the report card only made it official. This comment is boring....I could do better.
What's all this about boredom?
Hee hee hee - due to short term memory issues, I didn't get your comment for so long, Liane! And then I remembered what I'd written in my very own post, and was vastly amused:)
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