Sheila Sims Iding
I say it every year on report card day. Oh how I wish they weren't report cards. I wish I could just write them love notes instead and tell them all the things they are good at and the things they still need to work on.
There is nothing wrong with letter grades. There is nothing wrong with numbers for behavior and effort. They are windows into a child’s progress in first grade. They are information to parents on a child’s academic performance and personal development. There are families who will celebrate stellar report cards tonight and families who will see what work still needs to be done. I know that report cards serve a purpose but in a perfect world I wish it wasn’t letters and numbers.
I wish I could write love notes instead.
I wish I could thank the student who struggles in reading for working so hard. If it takes them twice as long to read a page as the other kids, to me they are showing great effort. When they don’t give up on a word after a few tries, they are learning a life lesson of perseverance. The fast readers don’t get that lesson…yet.
I wish I could thank the student who excelled for their hard work and tell them not to worry so much about getting everything right…just try your best and know it’s okay to make mistakes every now and then.
I wish I could tell the “active” student with a lower grade for focus and paying attention that I have noticed that day by day…slowly but surely, they are trying to make better choices. It may still be “below grade level” but I have noticed how hard they are trying to make it better.
I wish that the student with the great sense of humor realized that they play an important role in our classroom too. I wish the students who kneel to pray knew they are teaching us too. The student who still has wobbly printing shouldn’t be upset about an “I” in printing because they finally learned how to make ALL the letters in their name. The other letters will come too. We will work together.
I love how that one Care Corner Kid always remembers to feed Harriet, and that other one notices the love notes I leave on the message board, and that other one has put money in the poor bank every week. I love how that one student in team one always helps that one who struggles in team two…even if it means team one won’t get the point for being ready first. I love how that one who needs extra help in math is the leader in manners. He has more please’s and thank you’s than our math book has pages. I love them for that. I want a letter to say that.
I know report cards can be a good thing. I just wish the envelopes were stuffed with love notes instead. I know numbers and letters serve a purpose. I just wish the “letters” part were love letters instead.