Not my wife.

Actually sometimes she does. But I would be crazy to divulge and air my dirty linen in public.

Joking aside, I dislike the whole business of Holistic Development Remarks. Which is our fancy term for the student remarks each student receives on his or her report card at the end of a semester.

No, I don’t mind the writing part. I have a Google Doc which boasts all the student remarks I have written in the past - thoughtfully sorted into themes and categories. It’s a matter of mixing and matching the appropriate remarks when remarks season arrives. I even bother to run them through ChatGPT or Meta to ensure the correct tone and register.

I do mind the vetting, though. It has grown out of proportion in my opinion.

First, a Key Personnel will vet my remarks.

Subsequently, after I accept this Key Personnel’s changes, I still must send the edited remarks to my Year Head. My Year Head will edit them further.

I will then include my Year Head’s inputs and print out a copy for my Vice Principal’s vetting. 3 rounds?!

I wouldn’t have minded the ding dong-ing of remarks so much, if it weren’t for the fact that different Key Personnel have different stylistic preferences. I feel like I have to change my words according to whoever is checking my work.

I even complained about it directly to my Year Head. Gggrrrrrr

Sigh. All my free periods were expended changing my remarks. So many manpower hours invested into something that most of my students wouldn’t particularly care about.