What I'm TRYING to say is...

Have you ever pored over an important email, needing to convey the right message without eliciting an angry response? Sure, there are times where you need to "tell it how it is", but there are times that call for a different approach. Writing report card comments is one of those times - a delicate balance between delivering the message gently yet effectively, or delivering the message so vaguely that the point is not made. See if you can select the best words from within the parentheses to use:

We welcome (insert student’s name) to the 5th grade! (Student’s name) is a (confident / arrogant / stubborn) student who (has potential when focused / needs to get their butt in gear / is a bully). We are working on (staying on task and keeping a positive attitude / not screwing around all the time / not being a mean person) this quarter and hope (he / she) continues to make progress so (he / she) can (build a strong foundation for their future / has a future that includes a job / has a future that includes friends).

I've never been a good communicator, but being a teacher has helped me work on that. If I dilute my words so much that my point is being missed, that isn't good for the child. If I'm so blunt that the people I'm corresponding with get defensive, that isn't helpful either. Because I want what's best for my students, I pore over my report card comments and carefully select the words I use. And no, I have never felt the urge to write any of the less-than-gentle words in my example above. Honestly!

If only I could always apply this to my personal life too, I'd be golden...