Dorothy Sayers presented a paper entitled The Lost Tools of Learning at a summer conference at Oxford in 1947. In the paper, she makes a rather astute observation about “end-of-term reports” which should “combine a deep veneration for truth with a tender respect for the feelings of all concerned.”

Ms. Sayers’ description of comments is profound. The task of writing report card comments seems very burdensome and weighty, but is a task that the teacher should value. Such comments are the last opportunity in the quarter to offer encouragement and advice to students while giving a seal of approval on their progress over the course of the quarter.

In light of this advice on writing report card comments, here are the best tips from Matt and Winston on writing report card comments:

Deliver compliment sandwiches: Present one piece of encouragement with one meaningful, courteous way the students can (or should) improve for the next quarter.

Write comments throughout the quarter: Make a roster at the beginning of the quarter and add to that roster great things students did in class–good comments, meaningful insights, a great diorama here or there–these specific pieces of feedback go a long way in encouraging students.

When in doubt, email: If the comment gets too specific, includes too many action items, or seems like it could be misinterpreted, email or call parents and let them know what you’re seeing.