We know report card writing can be a bit of a dirty word this time of year… so we wanted to help you manage the enormous task, with a few of our best report card writing tips and tricks to make the process a little smoother for you and your students!
1. Start Early!
Starting early in the reporting term is key!
This sounds obvious, but being organised enough to start as soon as possible is what will make all the difference.
I promise you!
2. Get on top of Marking!
This also sounds obvious.
Make sure that you keep up-to-date with all marking of your student’s assessment, as best as you can be.
This will help reduce the size of the task. (I’m talking about last term’s assessment marking here).
Make sure this is done by the end of the term or over the holidays. Don’t carry this load over into the new term.
3. Begin in a Word/Excel Document
If you can start writing your comment into an excel or word document this will definitely have you more organised well before reporting is officially opened in your school software.
By doing this, it gets you ahead of the game and helps you free up the tasks for when you need to complete the more thought-intensive time.
To do this, start typing into a spreadsheet with the overall student comments first.
Use a table set up with all of your students’ names running down the first column. Then add two further columns for semester 1 and then semester 2 with the details I will complete about their general working behaviour.
The great idea of this is that it will then help you to have a ready reference in the latter part of the year, to help remind you what you wrote in the first term’s comments.
You’ll be sure not to repeat things you’ve already said!
4. Use a Generic Comment Bank
Use a standard comment-bank of statements for each subject.
This makes adding each phrase very quick and easy, without having to use time-intensive thinking.
You can then always add personalised information to this if you want.
Once you get some comments structured into paragraphs the way you want, you can easily use these as guides for your students, tweaking where needed.
5. Set a Timer
Set a timer for fifteen minutes and commit to writing 2/3 comments. Tell yourself you’ve only got 15 minutes to do it. You’ll be amazed at how motivating that can be!
6. Break it Down!
Break the report writing task down into smaller chunks. Consider starting with general comments and then breaking these down into chunks of 2/3 a day. Report card writing becomes far more achieveable when you break the task down into smaller, more manageable chunks.
7. Start with the Hardest Task First
You’ll be surprised how empowering and motivating it is to know that you’ve completed the bit you were dreading the most. It’s all downhill from there!
8. Use positive self talk
Tell yourself you’ve got this, I can do it, I’m on a roll, this is easy! You may find our inspirational quotes posters in our Free Resource Library handy to post around your work area while you are writing report card comments.
9. Throw a Party!
Invite fellow teachers around and write your report cards together. This can be great for throwing ideas around when you get stumped on wording particularly!
10. Treat Yourself
Remember self-care during report card writing season is absolutely important! Whatever it is that motivates you, set this as your reward for finishing certain tasks. This might be spending time with your family, going for a walk, getting to a task that you never have time for. Your reward doesn’t need to cost you anything. Just make it sometime special that will take you away from work and into the zone of relaxation and pleasure 🙂
