Still this stress testimonial | Mama Blog

There used to be a sermon, but nowadays Dad is panicked. (Photo: Getty Images)

Soon it will be done. Most graduation parties are celebrated. Children stumble between fatigue and sugar until the summer holidays. For days, instead of doing their homework, they bring home Migros bags full of notebooks and crafts. The emptying room is transformed into a cinema room. There is popcorn and coci instead of voci.

And tomorrow at 11am it's over! But wait: before it rings, there are still certificates. Or, as we call it, evaluation reports. Even first year students are evaluated. Although not with notes, but in reality all know that a "very good" in writing would be a 6, an "insufficient" in the sport a 3. Be judged not only the subjects, but also work and learning behavior.

What is filed?

In "Planting and Organizing Work in a Practical Way", the teacher can choose if this applies the most, rarely, or anywhere between the two. Other points of assessment are "exhibits even after failures use", "divert little" and "may cooperate with others". When I think of my daily work, some adults come to mind, and I would not do the little cross anywhere on the left, including myself.

We live in a meritocracy. And the school is not prepared for that, but the race starts in the first year. Whether it is a certificate or an assessment report: The child receives black and white comments on his or her performance at the end of the school year. But the testimonies do not show everything. Although my son is a comfortable contemporary who never learns and does his homework as infrequently as possible. Nevertheless, he will probably have at least five and a half years in mathematics. Another child may have been practicing all year, making efforts, doing extra homework and diligently practicing the big multiplication table with the parents – and still getting only four and a half years for his efforts. Which child did more?

Bad notes – bad mood

Notes do not show their own learning curve, but how they compare to their classmates. To be good, you have to be better than others. But is this the right reason to learn?

Rarely stressed: Zeugnistag. (Photo: iStock)

For many children, witnessing day means fear and stress. The first step is to conclude the testimony in front of the comrades – "What on earth?" – can take a look. Then they slowly stir at home, the testimonials are heavy like stones in the school office. At home, the parents (tense) wait. The mother opens the certificate, photographs the notes with her mobile phone and sends them to her father – with a smiling face that zigzags in a zigzag line. Many parents slip so stupid a remark like, "But you do not come to gymi!" Or "You're only a minimalist!"

Right now, we parents do not think of education in a holistic sense. We only see numbers and calculate the professional success of our children. First son should be something: doctor, lawyer, architect. He must go to the Gymi, or Bern first in the dry then in the Gym. Because the transfer already counts the performance in the fifth year. And if the child is only in second grade of mathematics at the point of evaluation "imagination"? Uuiui! Unfortunately, the imagination of the parents is big enough to be already worried.

Relax!

But does it help? Will the scores be better if you really talk to the child on the day of the testimony? If you make the son a snail all four? Or does the girl promise 50 francs by six in the next testimony? Before the children are enrolled, I've already decided not to give too much weight to these notes and reports. I will take a look at the report, comment on the differences from the previous year and ask the child what he thinks of his grades – and you're done. I do not analyze or critique "bad" notes, and I do not overly praise "good" notes.

Testimonials are an interesting feedback. Children are not their notes. You can show more and different from these numbers and crosses. Their future and happiness in life do not depend on whether they have a five in the fourth year at Franz or a four and a half. Whether it's three, four or five: the last day of school, we will all eat a coupe. With this small family tradition, we celebrate the end of the school year. For fun, we will try to rank all the ice cream creations on the table. Incidentally, the fact that the Bananasplit got grades between three and six last year also says something about the certificates. More articles on the subject:

Parent talk?

Only the opinion of the teacher account

Evaluation of questionable endurance of the freshmen

Which school do my children need?

Nadia Meier is a writer / conceptualist. In part-time work, she is jointly responsible for running a chaotic household in Bern. She has a son and a daughter. Her hobby is Twitter .