Avoid Progress Report Shock

Posted by Joe Bruzzese Sep 28, 2007

Next to report cards, progress reports can be a source of great stress for students and parents. About four weeks after school starts, your first progress report will arrive in the mail. Hopefully, your report is cause for celebration. In some cases, however, the grades your parents see are dramatically different than what you had anticipated. Avoid P.R.S. (progress report shock) by using the two-minute check-in strategy below.

Two-minute check-in

After the first 2-3 weeks of school have passed, stop by each of your classes either before or after school with the intention of spending two minutes talking with each of your teachers about your progress. Here are some sample questions for your conversation.

“Hi, Ms./Mrs./Mr. ________, I just wanted to stop by and ask you about how I’m doing in your class?”

“Am I missing any assignments or projects?”

“How can I improve my grade in your class?”

“How can I challenge myself this quarter?” (an especially good question to ask if you already have an A!)