In term 2 last year our team wrote our first reports collaboratively. After having written reports previously where I was responsible for only a small group (single cell) this new experience proved to be an extremely time consuming and tedious task. When reflecting on this new experience it was obvious that what we did could be better managed....and so it was. As a team we developed better systems for recording information in a shared way.
We were fortunate to have had the experience of reporting last year to guide us in being proactive about how we collated information to improve the way we share and record information. This prior experience helped us improve the efficiency of our records on student progress and partake in ongoing moderation conversations of standards so that we avoided spending so much time going to and fro over where students are at during the time of reporting.
As a team we are well supported from our school in terms of specific and clear guidelines and expectations. We know that reporting to parents should be completed in parent speak and we are aware of the importance of being consistent and moderating the way we report across the team.
During term 3 of this year our team have created individual anecdotal records that we each have access to via a link on our planning slides. We endeavour to take time to record notes on these individual pages about reading, writing, numeracy and other areas. The main issue with this seems to be time, however I'm sure that when report writing time comes around at the end of the year we will be grateful for the time we have taken to work on this to assist with comments.
You are showing some great reflective practice here Melissa. It is so good to see that you and your team do not stop looking for ways to improve and streamline your systems. The professional discussions that you have regularly with your team are rich and productive. This has to benefit the kids in Tumu. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in your blog.
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