Friday Reports

This is my first year at a new school and in a new grade level. In August, I was told that I would have to fill out and send out a 'Friday Report' each week to the parents that told them about their student's progress. My first thought was that it would be far too time consuming and stressful. While this is true, especially for those crazy Fridays (nearly every week!), I have found the Friday Reports to be far more beneficial than not. Forcing myself to communicate with each parent every week is helpful for many reasons: 

1) There are never any surprises when report cards or conferences come up 

2) Parents see exactly what we are working on in class

3) Behavior and academics are addressed 

4) Positive communication happens more often than communicating concerns

I have modified the format from what it was in August. The most recent version is a self-evaluation with room for teacher comments. The students start with a description of what they have learned for the week. The idea is that by them filling it out, they will actually remember when mom or dad asks them what they did in school. ;) Then, they fill in a brief table about their behavior and homework for the week. The last part (and my favorite) is where they acknowledge a strength they had during the week, as well as a challenge that they will work towards the next week. All in all, it takes about 10 minutes for the students to fill out. I spend about 20 minutes checking to make sure they are accurate in their evaluations and writing positive feedback or concerns where needed.

The un-editable version is available for free on my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. Please let me know if you have any questions!