Report Cards

I'm trying to teach some of my older students about audience. It is my hope that they will find a reason to learn something and a desire to share what they learn with a specific audience or an unknown one. It would also be great if they found learning something so great that they thought it fun to broadcast themselves for pure entertainment, like this set of college students at Wartburg or to give hope to others, like this inspiring story from Regina.

So it has me pondering (instead of writing) report cards. Who is my audience? What is my purpose in writing them? What is important?

Am I writing them for the child? for the parent? for the future teachers? for the school's records? Each one of these audiences requires something different from the others, even if the differences are only subtle. Is the purpose measuring and showing learning and growth? encouraging students and parents? offering suggestions for future actions and growth? reporting on strategies and accommodations?

I'm not certain about any of these questions. However, I would like students, parents, teachers and administrators to know each child is an individual with strengths, with potential, with dreams, with worth. If I can convey that in just one sentence on the page, I might be able to rest at night. Well at least once the report cards are finished.