When it is time to write Narrative Comments, teachers have questions about formatting.

You have the option to cut and paste pre written comments (either straight into the comment box or using the Text Edit option in the comment box) but neither one of these options will keep your formatting exactly the same. If you opt to type your comment right into the comment box, you have some formatting options, but will have to use the keyboard for others. One example is bullet points, which is not a formatting option in the comment box, however you can use a dash on the keyboard to indicate a bullet point.

Here is a quick video that shows you examples of the three options for entering text into the comment box.

Randy shared the expectations for those Quarter Narrative Comments:

Quarter Narratives:

Part of our expertise and responsibility as teachers is to identify overall patterns of student performance, and communicate it to foster student growth.

• Students and parents will receive narrative comments but no quarter grade. They will be instructed to look at the online gradebook.
• We will maintain our comment writing days this year.
• Course comment. Since the gradebook will communicate the assignments for the term, it’s not necessary to do so in the course comment. Instead, set a helpful context for the individual narrative by noting major skills, concepts, essential questions and content covered in the quarter.
• Individual comment. For this first semester of school wide online gradebook, faculty may choose to write a traditional comment. For those who used the comments feature on multiple assignments during the quarter, you should write a streamlined identification of patterns revealed in the assignment comments:
  • 2 – 3 bullets on strengths
  • 2 – 3 bullets on challenges/areas for growth
  • You might also include relevant comments on student behavior and/or recommendations for improvement not present in the assignment comments.