December 1 Panther Press

The first trimester report cards will be sent home momentarily. We thought that as parents you may benefit from some "what to do, what not to do" advice from the counselors, administrators and teachers regarding report card grades and comments.

Our long-term goals for all our students include having our children become self-motivated learners, feeling that they are in charge of their learning and that learning can be enjoyable, and handling various challenges in school. Veteran teacher Jackie Pollard advises that it is the child's report card so she encourages parents to save it and let their child open it. Using praises such as "You're such a great kid" and "I bet you have one of the best report cards in the class" teaches your child that being better than others is important and that getting good grades equals parent approval. These kinds of comments can promote external motivation rather than internal motivation and, in the long run, external rewards or punishments will not create self-motivated learners, a characteristic that will serve them throughout their lives.

Whether the report card is up to your or your child's expectations, it is more empowering for your child if you say, "How do you feel about these grades?", "It looks like you are really enjoying learning", "Which grade/grades would you like to improve?", and "How can I help you?" It may then be helpful to take it one step further and help your child create some tangible goals (e.g., when studying for a test, student will make note cards or student will set up a weekly check-in with a certain teacher). When your child receives a grade of concern, first have a discussion with your child about that class. If you are still trying to figure out the particulars of a grade concern (not "Why did my child get a C on a certain assignment?"), encourage your child to seek their teacher out for clarification. We want our students to have the opportunity to demonstrate their self-advocacy skills. If you are still not getting a clear picture, feel free to email or call the teacher of that class directly for more details.

If your child received a progress report at mid-term and their grade showed improvement on the trimester report card, this is worth celebrating. Even if you think your child could have done better, you will benefit from accentuating the progress. After reviewing your child's report card, you might want to work on a plan together to address any challenges or areas of needed improvement.

The Comments section of the report card can be helpful in addressing the "why" questions that sometimes come up when you review your child's grades. Below you will find some highlights as well as some helpful tips aligned with some of the comments used by teachers to communicate to students and their families about what they need to improve upon in their class.

Disorganized and Unprepared
This is one of the most common problems amongst our middle school students. Some students' backpacks, binders and desks aren't as organized as they could be. Some parents have reported that it's helpful to meet each school night with your child and go through their binder, planner, etc. and discuss what they are working on and what's due in the days to come. If you plan on a uniform time each night, your child will come to expect it and, hopefully, it will become habitual for both the parent and the child.

Teachers also use this comment for students who do not come to class with appropriate needed materials or work that needed to be completed before the start of class. If your child frequently receives this comment, it might be helpful during your nightly check-in to ask your child what they might need to take with them to that particular class.

Study Habits Need Improvement
This can sometimes mean that your child needs to study more often, take their studying more seriously and/or study more effectively. It can also mean that a student needs to demonstrate to their teachers, in class, their understanding of the material or project in a way that shows they have good study habits.

Assignments Not Completed
Once students and parents get this feedback, some find it helpful to use the Thursday Audit/Weekly Progress Report system. This involves the student taking a Thursday Audit sheet (located at the front of their Panther Planner) to their teachers to have them record which assignments are overdue and if any major projects are coming down the pike. Students typically take the Thursday Audit to their academic teachers after school on Thursdays for signatures. Students then show the signed Audit to their parents, who will sign it themselves, acknowledging they are aware of what their child needs to be working on in order to get current. If you are interested in having your child use the Thursday Audit, please contact your child's counselor to see if he or she is eligible for the audit (i.e., low grades, assignments frequently missing, etc.). Most middle school teachers are using web sites to post homework assignments. You can access your child's teachers' web sites by logging on to our school's web site: ms.mvschools.org and clicking on "Teacher's Pages".

Absences/Tardies Affect Work
When students miss school, their work is affected. Likewise, when students are late to class, their work is also affected. The first few minutes of class is often a time when teachers map out what the class will be working on so when students are late for class, it can be very difficult to catch up. It is stressful and difficult to duplicate missed class lectures and group projects. If your child does have to miss school, please ensure that your child finds out what they missed from the teacher, teacher's web site and/or from a reliable student in class.

Excessive Socialization
This usually means that your child could benefit from socializing outside of class rather than during class. Encourage your child to take advantage of joining one of the many clubs, activities or sports offered at the middle school. Give them language to use if a fellow student tries to engage them in class when they should be paying attention. The old "my parents are going to kill me if I get into trouble" often works, or they could make a plan to meet at another time, say during recess or lunch. And, finally, explain to your child that it is a family expectation that they not socialize during class time and that they take their education seriously.

Does Not Use Class Time Wisely
Similar to the above, this comment is used when your child needs to use their class time more effectively and stay on task. Encourage your child to really tackle their work assignment during class. First, this allows them to have the option of getting help from their teacher or a classmate should they get stuck. Second, the more they get completed during class, the less homework they have. Third, some students have benefitted from mentally asking themselves, "What is the main point my teacher is making here?".

Passive About Learning
This is an opportunity to encourage your child to ask questions, seek meaning, engage in learning and demonstrate to the teacher that they are interested in the subject matter. Often times, we have students who think a particular class is "boring." Sometimes a child is passive about learning because their basic skills need improvement and they feel lost.

If you believe your child's reading skills could be improved and if your child says "reading is boring," you might want to try having your child pick out magazines as opposed to books for a change of pace. The combination of short articles (for short attention spans), colorful pictures, and subject matter of high interest can help sustain your child's interest in reading.

If your child is not motivated by math or thinks "I'm bad at math," as we sometimes hear, try to bring math into the home in a real and fun way. You could show your child how you use math in your daily life (e.g., calculating budgets, balancing the checkbook, taxes, cooking measurements) as well as incorporate fun math games into weekend family life (there are many suggestions on the Internet such as http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks3bitesize/).

Writing can also be a skill that challenges kids. For some, actual writing can be laborious and many have found that typing can change their outlook on writing as a whole. Some parents have purchased typing programs (such as Type To Learn or Typer Shark) for their home computers to help improve their child's typing skills. Still others don't find enjoyment out of writing. Some parents have encouraged journal writing by giving their child a special journal, diary or opportunity to blog. Others have encouraged foreign pen-pal relationships to promote letter writing. The goal is to incorporate what your child is passionate about with the skill that needs improvement. Be creative and open-minded in this endeavor.

Disruptive Behavior
In this case it may be helpful to develop a plan with your child using rewards and incentives. If your child is having trouble behaving in a particular class, you might want to give them an incentive to stay on track. For example, your child could work towards earning "free time" on Friday afternoons or over the weekend by having a "good week" at school. You could check in with your child's teacher(s) by email to get a quick "thumbs up/thumbs down" as to how their week went or check their Thursday audit sheet if they are using one as there is a behavioral check box on the right-hand margin.

Uncooperative or Poor Attitude
Similar to the above, it might help for your child to do some after-school checking in to try to establish a better rapport and relationship with their teachers.

Often Inattentive In Class
Your child might benefit from incentives here as well. Please also make sure your child is eating well (pack a good snack to eat during recess) and getting enough rest. Ask your child what they are thinking about in class. It might be that their seat assignment needs to be moved so they can pay better attention in class.

Assignments Need More Effort
This is something we often see with middle school students as they will often do the bare minimum required and not go into much depth on an assignment or project. It might be helpful to sit with your child at night and go over the meanings of a particular project or what they personally got out of an assignment and to point out when assignments have clearly lacked effort. It is not cruel and unusual punishment to have them redo an assignment that needs more effort. It is also beneficial for students to articulate their thoughts on their work as it can have a positive impact on their overall learning experience.

Homework Consistently Late
This is where the planner system can really help. Require that your child have their assignments written fully in their planner each night. If this is not working and your child fails to do this accurately, you may ask your child to have their teachers initial that they wrote it completely after each class. For those teachers who have web sites, you can check due dates and add those to the family calendar.

Test/quizzes Need Improvement
We often hear from parents that their child has difficulty taking tests, which causes their grades to fall. It is a well-known fact that cramming for tests the night before a major exam simply is ineffective. Here are some tips that have worked for students and families that might be helpful for you:

Breaking up test subject matter into attainable parts to be reviewed nightly throughout the week prior to the test can be beneficial.
Parents can encourage their child to check in with their teacher outside of class prior to the test so they can check to see if they are on track for studying the appropriate material as well as have the chance to get individual clarification on certain questions.