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You've reached the end of another grading period, and what could be more daunting than the task of composing insightful, original, and unique comments about every child in your class? The following positive statements will help you tailor your comments to specific children and highlight their strengths.
You can also use our statements to indicate a need for improvement. Turn the words around a bit, and you will transform each into a goal for a child to work toward. Sam cooperates consistently with others becomes Sam needs to cooperate more consistently with others, and Sally uses vivid language in writing may instead read With practice, Sally will learn to use vivid language in her writing. Make Jan seeks new challenges into a request for parental support by changing it to read Please encourage Jan to seek new challenges.
Whether you are tweaking statements from this page or creating original ones, check out our Report Card Thesaurus [see sidebar] that contains a list of appropriate adjectives and adverbs. There you will find the right words to keep your comments fresh and accurate.
We have organized our 100 report card comments by category. Read the entire list or click one of the category links below to jump to that list.
AttitudeBehaviorCharacterCommunication SkillsGroup WorkInterests and TalentsParticipationSocial SkillsTime ManagementWork Habits
Attitude
The student:
is an enthusiastic learner who seems to enjoy school.
exhibits a positive outlook and attitude in the classroom.
appears well rested and ready for each day's activities.
shows enthusiasm for classroom activities.
shows initiative and looks for new ways to get involved.
uses instincts to deal with matters independently and in a positive way.
strives to reach their full potential.
is committed to doing their best.
seeks new challenges.
takes responsibility for their learning.
Behavior
The student:
cooperates consistently with the teacher and other students.
transitions easily between classroom activities without distraction.
is courteous and shows good manners in the classroom.
follows classroom rules.
conducts themselves with maturity.
responds appropriately when corrected.
remains focused on the activity at hand.
resists the urge to be distracted by other students.
is kind and helpful to everyone in the classroom.
sets an example of excellence in behavior and cooperation.
Character
The student:
shows respect for teachers and peers.
treats school property and the belongings of others with care and respect.
is honest and trustworthy in dealings with others.
displays good citizenship by assisting other students.
joins in school community projects.
is concerned about the feelings of peers.
faithfully performs classroom tasks.
can be depended on to do what they are asked to do.
seeks responsibilities and follows through.
is thoughtful in interactions with others.
Communication Skills
The student:
has a well-developed vocabulary.
chooses words with care.
expresses ideas clearly, both verbally and through writing.
has a vibrant imagination and excels in creative writing.
has found their voice through poetry writing.
uses vivid language in writing.
writes clearly and with purpose.
writes with depth and insight.
can make a logical and persuasive argument.
listens to the comments and ideas of others without interrupting.
Group Work
The student:
offers constructive suggestions to peers to enhance their work.
accepts the recommendations of peers and acts on them when appropriate.
is sensitive to the thoughts and opinions of others in the group.
takes on various roles in the work group as needed or assigned.
welcomes leadership roles in groups.
shows fairness in distributing group tasks.
plans and carries out group activities carefully.
works democratically with peers.
encourages other members of the group.
helps to keep the work group focused and on task.
Interests and Talents
The student:
has a well-developed sense of humor.
holds many varied interests.
has a keen interest that has been shared with the class.
displays and talks about personal items from home when they relate to topics of study.
provides background knowledge about topics of particular interest to them.
has an impressive understanding and depth of knowledge about their interests.
seeks additional information independently about classroom topics that pique interest.
reads extensively for enjoyment.
frequently discusses concepts about which they have read.
is a gifted performer.
is a talented artist.
has a flair for dramatic reading and acting.
enjoys sharing their musical talent with the class.
Participation
The student:
listens attentively to the responses of others.
follows directions.
takes an active role in discussions.
enhances group discussion through insightful comments.
shares personal experiences and opinions with peers.
responds to what has been read or discussed in class and as homework.
asks for clarification when needed.
regularly volunteers to assist in classroom activities.
remains an active learner throughout the school day.
Social Skills
The student:
makes friends quickly in the classroom.
is well-liked by classmates.
handles disagreements with peers appropriately.
treats other students with fairness and understanding.
is a valued member of the class.
has compassion for peers and others.
seems comfortable in new situations.
enjoys conversation with friends during free periods.
chooses to spend free time with friends.
Time Management
The student:
tackles classroom assignments, tasks, and group work in an organized manner.
uses class time wisely.
arrives on time for school (and/or class) every day.
is well-prepared for class each day.
works at an appropriate pace, neither too quickly or slowly.
completes assignments in the time allotted.
paces work on long-term assignments.
sets achievable goals with respect to time.
completes make-up work in a timely fashion.
Work Habits
The student:
is a conscientious, hard-working student.
works independently.
is a self-motivated student.
consistently completes homework assignments.
puts forth their best effort into homework assignments.
exceeds expectations with the quality of their work.
readily grasps new concepts and ideas.
generates neat and careful work.
checks work thoroughly before submitting it.
stays on task with little supervision.
displays self-discipline.
avoids careless errors through attention to detail.
uses free minutes of class time constructively.
creates impressive home projects.
Report Card Thesaurus
Looking for some great adverbs and adjectives to bring to life the comments that you put on report cards? Go beyond the stale and repetitive With this list, your notes will always be creative and unique.
Adjectives
attentive, capable, careful, cheerful, confident, cooperative, courteous, creative, dynamic, eager, energetic, generous, hard-working, helpful, honest, imaginative, independent, industrious, motivated, organized, outgoing, pleasant, polite, resourceful, sincere, unique
Adverbs
always, commonly, consistently, daily, frequently, monthly, never, occasionally, often, rarely, regularly, typically, usually, weekly
Updated: 2/6/2017
Learning grammar has been compared to other fun things, like having teeth pulled or being assigned detention. But it needn't be a painful experience with these five lessons that help teach grammar without the hammer! Included: Five fun activities.
Teaching the yearly grammar unit can be like giving a child cough medicine. Some students take it without flinching; others- those with a mental block about grammar- flinch at the mere mention of the word.
Great Grammar!
Do you use Education World's Every-Day Edits to reinforce students' grammar, punctuation, and spelling skills? We offer a weekly activity for primary grade students and daily practice for students in grades 3-up. Daily practice and reinforcement are sure to improve your students' test scores, so check out our Every-Day Edits today.
See these additional resources from Education World for links to more great grammar!
* Language Arts Work Sheet Library
* Teacher Feature: Friday Is "Grammar Slammer" Day
* Express Yourself (Well): Web Sites for Teaching Students About the English Language
* Good Grief, It's Grammar Time!
* 'Every Day' Activities: Language
* What's Happening? - A Grammar Game
Teaching grammar has to be one of toughest tasks a teacher faces. We all know that grammar skills are essential to students' success on standardized tests and college entrance exams, in their ability to communicate orally and in writing, and in nearly all other areas of life! So the more fun we can have with grammar—and the more varied approaches we can use to teach it—the more likely our students are to 'get it.'
This week, Education World is offering a handful of lesson ideas to help you lighten up with grammar. These lessons help you lessen the pain, if you will.
FIVE LESSONS FOR TEACHING GRAMMAR
Click each of the five lesson headlines below for a complete teaching resource. (Appropriate grade levels for each lesson appear in parentheses.)
Synonym Scramble
A fun activity reinforces synonyms and builds vocabulary skills. (Grades K-12)
Verb-Adverb Charades
Verbs and adverbs take center stage in this lively activity. (Grades 3-8)
Proper Noun Gallery Walk Activity
A gallery walk activity helps reinforce the concept of proper nouns. (Grades 3-12)
Pair Editing
Students share their edits and then edit solo. Two humorous work are also sheets included. (Grades 3-8)
Parts-of-Speech Tall Tales
Kids write their own fill-in-the-blank tall tales. (Grades K-12)
There has been a flood of research pointing to the advantages of social and emotional learning (SEL) and its benefits for developing the whole child—and even specifically their academic skills and ability to make good choices. But what about its connection to leadership?
According to the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), good SEL skills can be developed in schools and classrooms in a number of ways, including through leadership opportunities. That comes at a time when leaders in education and the business community don’t think we are doing enough to teach kids leadership lessons.
CASEL and other researchers have found that teaching leadership or providing opportunities for students to lead helps them with personal and social skills that are in demand. For instance, Entrepreneur magazine has offered details about the top leadership skills we need to teach children and Forbes magazine discussed top traits of leaders—and both very closely match those skills that groups like CASEL believe are the core competencies for SEL: things like self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
It also relates directly to the wide-ranging Partnership for 21st century learning mission, and its goals for life and career skills, which notes that the business community sees a need for teaching more leadership skills in schools.
So, here are some ways educators can offer leadership opportunities, knowing that they’ll also be a valuable part of SEL.
Put them in charge. Involve students in leadership opportunities in the classroom—from heading the discussion of a lesson to handing out papers. Experts say such opportunities should become part of the classroom procedures each day. It benefits the student with the assignment and peers who must work with a peer leader. Activities involving student leadership in the classroom may help students most when teachers (or, even, in a respectful way, other students) positively assess their handling of the responsibility. So a teacher might congratulate a student on their introduction to a lesson, but suggest they speak slower. Or, they might write a quick note home to tell a parent how a student either followed through on an assigned leadership task successfully—or without prompting took one on.
Show off yours. Talk to students about why you expect certain behavior (but not at that moment when the behavior is not under control) or how you organize your class as its leader. Explain how leadership works in your mind and how you would like to share it because good leaders do. Shared leadership, you can explain, demands responsibility. Look for an example of your leading responsibilities each day and point it out.
Provide some good examples. Regularly mix in discussions about good leadership—whether it’s a more detailed critique of why a famous leader succeeded or a talk about the leadership that their principal must show—or their parents or a coach. Look for examples among their favorites music, movie, or sports stars when they are showing good (or not so good) leadership behavior. Assign a search for one. For example, a story of a sports star getting his team to help a good cause or a musician who can incite a crowd (positively or negatively) with one comment. Talk about the quality of leadership in figures who loom large in your subject area.
Deliver leadership lessons. Explain what leadership is and why it is valuable as a life skill and in careers. Find good short lessons as warm-ups twice a month.
Get them invested in improving school culture. Find ways to get students to change school culture by being leaders. The most common are perhaps stopping bullying, raising environmental awareness, or promoting understanding of students from other cultures, but you can enlist students in small ways in your class to do their part in improving the culture of the school–behaving better and reporting on it in class or inviting a lonely student to join their group at lunch. Reward students who report a school-wide leadership role they took on. Have an announcement every day recognizing a leadership act.
Involve them in extracurricular activities too. Extracurricular activities allow students to lead and can be ignited for that purpose. Include more students in smaller groups, and encourage them to develop leadership in the group and then school generally through a club senate, where rotating members from various clubs serve, separate from the traditional student government. (It often attracts students who already possess these skills.) Individual teachers can start clubs for their specialties—history or math or tech clubs—or even groups related to a personal interest or one’s culture. One English teacher had a drumming club, one on African culture, and one a fly-fishing group. It is key then to give members leadership opportunities to run meetings or plan a project.
Give them space. When students are given leadership opportunities—and especially when they step up and take them on, give them freedom to struggle and even fail, but support them. Experts often note there is no better lesson than failure, but you can help break the fall or encourage the comeback.
Jim Paterson has been a newspaper and magazine editor and an award-winning writer for The Washington Post, USA Today Weekend, the Christian Science Monitor, Parents magazine, and a number of national and regional publications. During a break from writing he worked as a school counselor for seven years and quickly became head of a counseling department and "Counselor of the Year" in Montgomery County, Md. He now writes about education primarily. More about Jim at www.otherperplexity.com.
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COPYRIGHT 1996 - 2017 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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