Report Cards (IV)

Long time since the last post. Been busy with the very report cards that I've spoken about (here, here, and here). Another incredible minhag that we have here (as I've said before, this minhag may exist elsewhere; I myself, however, have never seen it in the States or in Israel).

Before giving out the report cards, the Mechanech (I've written about that before) meets with every student and describes/explains the grades, reads through the comments together, etc. They then discuss how to build on the strengths and focus on areas that need improvement.

It's an incredible experience to watch: the report cards are no longer static, they no longer represent the past, and they no longer represent a simple communication from teachers to parents. It is transformed into a tool - for teacher, parent, and student - for growth for the future.