How to Save Time Writing Report Cards

Being a teacher is stressful and challenging enough without having to add virtual learning curriculums to your never-ending to-do list. As much as you want to do right by your students and ensure that they’re getting the most out of their education during these trying times, you also need to take the time to come up with suitable and insightful report card comments when the grading season begins.

Here are some quick and easy stress-reducing tips to help ease the burden of coming up with comment ideas for report cards.

Get an Early Start

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a teacher is to assume you have enough time to work on report card comments later on. Procrastination is the enemy of productivity. If you have the means and a moment to spare, take the time to start on your report card comments as early as possible. Future you will thank you for your forethought and preparation. Because once report card season starts, you’re likely to be bombarded and overwhelmed with endless menial tasks and deadlines.

Stay Up-to-Date with Assessment Marking  

Assessment marking embodies a variety of grading techniques. It has to do with evaluating the student’s understanding of the course material, their ability to explain concepts coherently in their words, as well as their ability to form educated analyses and opinions regarding what they’ve learned. Additionally, teachers must also pay attention to other factors such as grammar, spelling, punctuation, proper organization of thoughts, etc. Simply put, grading assignments and tests is a lot of work, so it’s important for teachers to stay up-to-date on all of their marking to avoid feeling overwhelmed by work overload later on.

Start by creating an organized to-do list and check each item off as it gets completed. Focus on one task at a time and set achievable and reasonable deadlines for each task, so that you can complete them on time without compromising on quality.

Resist the Urge to Correct Every Mistake You See

Sometimes, a powerful part of teaching is giving students the proper tools to recognize when they’ve made a mistake and correct it on their own. Resist the urge to simply correct every little error because it’s easier for you. Give your students the time, space, and opportunity to identify their mistakes and come up with creative solutions for correcting them. They’ll learn better this way and appreciate you for it in the future.  

Use Google Drive to Save Documents and Stay Organized

Google Drive is a great resource to help teachers store their documents and stay organized without taking up too much space on their personal or work computers. You can access, edit, and revise documents at any time without having to download anything. Best of all, Google Drive is completely free and easy to use as long as you have a Google account, which is also free.

Report Card Remarks/Comments Solutions

Coming up with unique report card comments on the fly can be exhausting after a while. After writing a certain number of report card comments, you might start to feel your brain turning to mush. To support teachers in their time of need, TIMESAVERS for TEACHERS has created a comprehensive and customizable Report Card Comments Collection that features over 1,800 generic comment prompts.

We also provide a number of useful resources and tools to set teachers up for success. Check out The Teacher’s Binder, Substitute Teacher Instruction Kit, and Classroom Awards. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to place an order.