I just finished myΒ Communications of Learning.Β As much as I actually liked writing them, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders when I finally sent the PDF copy to my principal. Like I usually do, I shared much of my writing progress through Twitter.
16 comments left. In between family Thanksgiving celebrations, I'm going to be thankful for finishing my #CommunicationsOfLearning this weekend. Goals are good! I hope others have report card writing success, as well as great Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends!
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 13, 2019
And then there were 10. Slowly getting through these Communication of Learning comments. I do like the opportunity to really reflect on each child. Communications of Learning really do feel differently than report cards. I have to say that I love the difference!
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 13, 2019
A lovely Thanksgiving meal & 7 comments left to write. Hoping to get many finished this evening. We'll see. Hope others are having productive Communication of Learning/progress report writing weekends as well as time with family and friends. I'll be thankful when these are done!
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 13, 2019
Five comments to write tomorrow and then proofreading. I'm too tired to be articulate right now. Think I need sleep and a little rest for my brain. There's still more time for Communications of Learning in the morning.
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 14, 2019
And then there was one … Only one C of L comment left to write before editing all of them today. I am determined to finish everything this weekend. For that, I will be very thankful. Hope others are having success with a Communication of Learning/progress report weekend.
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 14, 2019
Single digits. I'm excited to be down to 9 comments to proofread, and then these Communications of Learning are done. I definitely had a goal this weekend, and am happy to achieve it. Makes me think about the value in sharing goals with kids & encouraging them to set their own.
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 14, 2019
And done!! Yippee!! Yahoo!! Cue the happy dance. There are not enough exclamation marks to capture my excitement right now. Nice to be done these Communications of Learning,& still have time for some reading and relaxing today. Lots to be thankful for. Hope you are done soon too!
— πΌπ«ππ«π πΏπͺπ£π¨ππππ§ (@avivaloca) October 14, 2019
It was my second last tweet here that really made me pause.Β Goals.Β When it comes to writingΒ Communications of Learning,Β I set many. I’m always figuring out how many weekends I’ll need to write them —Β I can’t seem to be as articulate during the week as I am on the weekendΒ — and how many comments I can write in a day.Β What about proofreading?Β I try to be really accurate in my proofreading, so it usually takes me about 5-6 hours to finish this step. Sometimes more.
This whole process has me thinking about students. Even in young primary grades, I’ve had students set goals before. Maybe the goal is to print using smaller letters, to add more details to their work, or to persevere with a more challenging task. These goals can vary depending on the child and the time of the year. But moving from co-creating goals to having children set their own is often a goal of mine. As I persevered to stay focused this weekend, to really see the child in the comment, and to complete the writing task, I wonder about the value in sharing our goals with kids.
- What if we shared our successes …,
- Our struggles …,
- Our need to modify the goals …,
- And maybe even what we had to change to make things work …,
would this make us more human, and help students as they work through their own goals?Β
Adults have their own goals to meet, and just as kids may find goals challenging, so can adults. But hopefully in the end, they can cue the “happy dance” just as I did. There’s something joyful about meeting with success. On this report card/Communication of Learning writing weekend, I hope that fellow educators meet their goals. May our students share the same happiness in success as we do. And maybe, if not all of us meet with success, will this help us empathize with those kids that also struggle. Sometimes a little joy comes in knowing that you’re not alone.
Aviva