Sending home report cards is a tough job for any teacher, and Specialists face a special challenge in that we are grading so MANY students but we don't get to see them as frequently. So, participation in the time that we do have them with us is the key generator of class grading. I will never grade a student on how well they do it, just if they try to do it well.

In Music Class students are assessed daily on our three classroom rules:

• Act Safe

• Be a First Time Listener

• Everyone Joins In

These rules are taught in Kindergarten and follow the children through Fifth Grade. The daily assessment is a five-point scale. Should a student be experiencing extreme behaviors, or consistently concerning behaviors, the classroom teacher and/or parents will be contacted and/or a comment will be placed on that students' report card.

Here are some comments I use regularly:

• Inconsistent Performance = this student has good days and bad days

• Grade Affected by Behavior = this student is an extreme disruptor in some way

• Grade Affected by Participation = this student is not choosing to join class activities

• Shows Improvement = this student had one of the above comments, but is doing better!

• Rising Star = this student is showing increased interest and participation in class

• Rockstar! = this student has perfect points