Entry FeedThis morning I was talking to a few moms in the playground who were disappointed by their children's report cards. I gave them some of the following advice:
1) Don't cry in front of your child, as upset as you may be. Also, try not to cry to the teacher at Parent / Teacher interviews. Makes you look unstable.
2) Don't tell you child the "letter grades" that they received - skip the tally of As, Bs, Cs etc and just read them the teacher comments and goals. Discuss these and get their feedback for how they performed.
3) This is your child's report card - it tells you roughly how your child is performing in school. This is NOT a definitive report on the success or failure of your child, nor is it a measure of their worth, nor your success as a parent.
4) If you need help understanding it, book an EXTRA appointment with the teacher. They can explain it to you in detail. You can also check out the ministry of education website.
One mom on the playground said that she just wanted her daughter, currently in grade one, to get into a decent university. I am pretty sure that she was kidding.
You're friend may have been kidding but I have heard mothers I know say similar things and I assure you they were not kidding. The expectations that the school and parents put on children is overwhelming at times. I too have been guilty when my daughters bring home a report card that I feel is not glowing. But I have learned to focus on the comments and if it is the first term I have learned not to stress out at all because usually I will see some improvement by the next few terms and that is all that I want my children to strive for.