Report Cards Go Out This Week

...'Nuff said, right?

My goal is always to have them finished Tuesday evening, but that rarely ever happens.  They go home with students on Friday, so I usually end up finishing them Wednesday evening.  I'd never leave it to the actual last day because that's just asking for trouble!

So although I have a lot of topics I'm dying to share with you, including continuing my fractions posts, starting my poetry posts, and also a rare but exciting tech post, I want to save them until I have time to do them properly.  In the meantime, you could check out my post on theme over at All Things Upper Elementary (which I had typed up over February vacation).  Otherwise, this Wednesday I thought I'd share a quick story about student reports. 

A few years ago, on a Friday when progress reports were due to go home, I had a formal observation with my principal.  I worked very hard to manage my time and have them ready for Wednesday for my principal to check over.  The next day I got them back and stayed so late setting up for my lesson that the building was closing.  So I brought them home to put them into envelopes.  And when I got to work on Friday morning, I realized I left them home.

So my principal came in with her notepad to watch me teach the lesson, and I taught it with all the composure I could muster while sweating buckets.  The lesson went great; the kids were engaged, she was smiling, I was on point.  Then when she headed for the door to go, I decided "the lesson is officially over, so her judgement won't be clouded as she's observing," and said, "I need to tell you something..."

After admitting my mistake, I asked her if she preferred that I drive home on my lunch break to get them (but I might be 10 minutes late getting back, and would need some coverage in case) or hand them out Friday.  Luckily, although she was known as being a stickler, she and I also had a good rapport.  So although I got "the look" when I told her my blunder, she also gave me a look of respect that I was giving her an option in terms of how we go about solving the problem.  Principals always appreciate that!

Anyone else ever have a harmless/fixable "whoops" moment with reports?