Student Progress Reports – Ways to Write Quicker and Better Reports
At the end of a semester, you are swamped with work. You have to read essays, grade final exams, and meet with parents. In addition, you face the daunting task of writing progress reports for all of your students. The old “cut-and-paste-a-blurb-about-the-class” is too generic to be useful to your learners. Yet, composing a one-of-a-kind disquisition about each of your four zillion students will take a decade. Luckily, you have stumbled upon this article. Below are several strategies to help you quickly and effectively write progress reports that are individualized. These strategies will result in reports that speak to the accomplishments and challenges of each student.
CARD TRICKS. On index cards, have students write about one thing they did well and one thing on which they would like to improve. When composing progress reports, quote your students and then responded with praise and suggestions.
IT’S ELECTRIC. Ask students to submit writing assignments as email attachments. Then, make comments on these assignments using the comment function in Microsoft Word. Keep an electronic file of these essays. Review these files and use the comments you made as a launching pad for your report writing.
HIGHS AND LOWS. As the semester progresses, make notes of the most noticeable accomplishment of each student in your grade book. Also, make notes of the one area in which each student most needs to improve. When writing reports, talk about the accomplishment. Also discuss the area in which the student needs to improve. Suggest 1-2 things the student can do to improve.
ABOVE AND BEYOND. For the student for whom you seem to have nothing to write, or for the student for whom you seem to have nothing but praise, suggest ways the student can challenge himself or herself. Pointing out books, websites, or extracurricular activities is especially useful for students who have mastered most of the classroom content.
COMING SOON. If you have the same students for next term, tell them what will be happening in the next class session. This can include books they will read, topics they will cover, or themes they will discuss. You can also suggest ways to prepare for the challenge of the upcoming term.
Progress reports need not be a hassle. Remember to keep them brief, specific, and useful. Try some of the strategies listed above. These tips should make your next batch of progress reports easier to write and more helpful to your students.
