“Be sure that you press hard enough. This is ‘in triplicate,’ so be sure what you write goes through all three copies, and if you have any questions, ask them when you turn your progress report into me. The first copy will be mailed home with the second copy going to your advisor while I keep the third copy. This report acts both as an opportunity to update your parents on your progress, as well as an opportunity on which you can plan your future action steps for the rest of the semester. Please think before you write, and then provide a detailed response.”
In the 1990s, progress reports were routinely done to communicate how learners were doing in my class. Yes, we did have computers (barely), but they were really a glorified calculator. We would teach, assign projects and papers, give quizzes and tests, and enter points into the system. It would provide a percentage that connected to a letter grade, and unless I had looked right before class or had printed out the class roster with current scores, no one truly had a current progress or grades.
I would let students choose code names or provide them with a number and then routinely post the progress so they would not constantly ask How am I doing? They wanted to know their grade, and I wanted them to learn. Parents wanted to know their progress, and I wanted them to study, ask questions, and engage in the course’s content. They wanted to pass my class/get an A or B, and I while I wanted them to earn those grades as well, I wanted them to learn how to communicate orally and in writing in English, as well as to enjoy the power in stories, fiction and nonfiction.
It is the 21st century, but I do not hear a lot of talk/comments about that now that we are twenty-three years into it – probably not a thing anymore – but as the fall parent-teacher conferences concluded, I thought back to the ‘90s and how education has changed. Progress reports are no longer mailed home since families have access to that information anytime they would like it. I wondered how that has impacted conferences. For those that attend, the parent-teacher connection still is very valuable in order to have good communication and collaboration, but ironically, the students that need to connect with their teachers rarely attend conferences. How do we communicate and collaborate; how can we connect? How do we have different conversations since progress and grades already are know prior to attending the conference? How can Spectrum Middle School be unique in how we work with our families?
Thank you for coming to conferences and being a part of that communication and collaboration! If ever there is anything we can do, please call and talk to your child’s teacher or advisor. Ms. Peterson or Ms. Sommerstad or I am also just a call away. If we can offer any support, just let us know because while good middle school support encourages self advocating rather than solving the problem, it has shown to make a big difference by our simply being available and offering that support.
If you have any thoughts on how to bring parent-teacher conferences into a 21st century version (or maybe you simply tell me that you are fine with the way conferences are run), send an email or make a call. I appreciate the connection.
Weeks at a Glance
- Friday, November 10: Veterans Day Program
- Monday, November 13: Professional Development - No school
- Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24: Thanksgiving Break - No school