Grade Card Time

It's that time of the school year when all the efforts or lack of them will soon show up as grades on the report card. As a teacher I feel it important to offer my students many opportunities to show what they can do. (Unfortunately, when it comes time to sum them up, I have a lot of work to do.) Students are anxious with anticipation of receiving grades high enough to earn monetary rewards. Some will be disappointed and wish that their efforts had been a little more. Each year a student will excitedly share his or her card with me. Over time I have learn that it doesn't matter that I graded and figured the final grade, the child just wants someone to express interest. So I do, adding all the right sounds and punctuation of my voice. After all, it is my job to care. And I do.