Writing Appropriate Report Card Comments

No matter what information you are hoping to convey to a student and parent through a report card comment, there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish this. Your words become part of a student’s permanent academic record and are therefore often closely scrutinized by a parent.

Many teachers have turned to ChatGPT for help in writing comments and that might work for you. Just be careful not to write a novel or to use difficult/complicated language. If necessary, ask ChatGPT to revise to be more concise and to use simpler language.

Report Card comments should follow these guidelines:

• Always use the student’s name (spelled correctly!) and not just refer to “the student”
• Always begin with a positive. If you’re struggling to find a positive, dig deeper: They can’t sit still? Then say, “I love the energy Johnny brings to the classroom.” They can’t stop talking? Then say, “Johnny’s social skills are excellent and he enjoys interacting with his peers.” You get the idea.
• Present any negatives with kindness.
• Always explain a grade less than an A. When a student receives a B grade and your comment says how great they are performing, the parent is left to wonder why they didn’t get an A.
• End on a positive note: “I’m looking forward to helping Johnny succeed next quarter.” “I know that once Johnny is able to turn in his missing work, his grade will greatly improve.”
• Be sure you are acknowledging any accommodations that the student receives (ie: this grade is reflective of daily 1-on-1 help)
• If student has earned a decent grade but it’s because the work they are doing is below grade level, be sure to state that (ie: Although Johnny is currently working on material below his grade level, he is making significant gains in filling in the gaps in his learning)
• For any student receiving a D or F – especially a high school student – the comment must say, “Once Johnny turns in his missing work, his grade will be adjusted accordingly.”
• ALWAYS proofread your comments looking for careless mistakes