Panoramic Profiles

Student profiles are essential documents that travel each key stage indicating the progress and growth of a child. Dedicated institutions hold them sacred and extract the maximum benefit from these files to solidify student strengths and improve upon the weaknesses.

A student profile highlights his/her likes, dislikes, aptitude, skill achievements and levels in independent subjects. Sensitive teachers like to add and describe the child’s personality through class incidents and acknowledging inspiring moments. 

For children facing learning difficulties or behavioural issues, the teachers attach plans and programmes that were followed for their betterment carrying a concluding report at the end exhibiting the level achieved. Comments on Parent Teacher meetings and results are also interdependent on student success and wellbeing and so these papers are also included as evidence.

Therefore, it would be fair to say that a child’s profile is really a panoramic view of his academic and social life. As a teacher, I always felt great pride in witnessing the growth of these young minds. I maintained these profiles but unfortunately, in all the schools that I worked, few gave much importance to this tradition and teachers did not feel the need to transfer and share such compulsory information in the beginning or at the end of the year.

Here are just a few advantages that spring to the mind after the successful interaction and sharing of a student profile at the beginning of a year:

Ø The ability to comprehend the number of levels to accommodate in the class that year.

Ø Revise and restructure lesson plans in advance to meet the academic requirements of each child.

Ø Study student strengths and weaknesses and create effective groups that support and balance each other’s energies.

Ø Modify plans and programmes for students having learning difficulties aiming to move a step further.

Ø Be knowledgeable on Parental concerns and expectations and conduct meetings with more focus and confidence.

Ø Devise a document to monitor the growth of each child in independent subjects concentrating on exercising their more influential skills.

Ø Pre-plan activities that would facilitate their areas of improvement.

Ø Establish a fair level of expectation for each individual and communicate objectives and targets to parents in advance to keep the achievements and success realistic.

Ø Meet the school counsellor or related personnel to acquire useful insight and teaching ideas on sensitive matters concerning pupils with domestic problems.

Ø Write personalized welcome notes to your incoming troop surprising them with your prior knowledge of their likes and specialities!

For me as a teacher, all of the above points were intrinsic and elemental to a successful year at school. However, the capability to comprehend achievement levels and plan realistically was the most contributing factor in the student’s growth. Setting targets and objectives provided a lot of focus through the year and the transition from level 1 to 2 came across quite smoothly.

Children begin each year with an excitement to wear a new uniform, an enthusiasm to open a new book, with the joy to carry new bags to a new classroom. For them, everything is new! And so it is quite important to create new possibilities and challenges for them to complement their desire to move ahead.

A profile with no colour, focus or enthusiasm is in reality a possibility lost creating a void for the coming years. Student profiles become much more attractive when they illustrate ladders of success, heaps of confidence and an album of proud elevation!