Nowadays, report cards have changed quite a bit and in some ways, have not changed in the least. My children's elementary school teachers still put lots of comments on the report cards - some pleasant and others more informative.
I used to dread the day that report cards were distributed. I suppose I didn't dread report cards as much in elementary school because my grades were always something worth showing off. In middle school, my report cards showed that my grades weren't always a top priority for me, but were still decent. My high school years found me trying to postpone taking report cards home as long as possible. I used to tell my parents that my grades had slipped because I no longer got the monetary rewards that good grades got me in my younger years. I don't think they accepted that excuse. Instead, my poorer grades resulted in being grounded and getting a tutor. I was less than thrilled. The tutoring stopped in tenth grade when my tutor asked me to his prom. My father ended that concept really quickly.
Nowadays, report cards have changed quite a bit and in some ways, have not changed in the least. My children's elementary school teachers still put lots of comments on the report cards - some pleasant and others more informative. As a parent, I am always happy to see those comments letting me know that my child is being polite and following directions well. I want to know that my child is helpful and respects others. I also want to know if they are not raising their hand or doing their assignments. I have found that some of their teachers have not taken the time to be more descriptive on the report cards. Parents like to know what is going on. We like to know that we have raised our children effectively. If we haven't done our job, we want to know in order to correct the situation.
Report cards are still handed out to the child who is expected to take them home to their parents. Some schools, depending on technology, make their report cards available only online. Maybe too many students were conveniently losing their report cards on the way home in the afternoons. Viewing report cards online have many advantages and disadvantages. I personally would rather have a report card handed to me rather than have to log onto a computer and search for the grades. Reading about your child's grades on the internet just doesn't seem as personal. While I realize that teachers have more students nowadays and not as much time, I still think the time should be found in order to make report cards as personal as they once had been.
