Learning skills and work habits: what each one looks like in the classroom
Ontario report cards rate six learning skills and work habits on a four-point scale: E (Excellent), G (Good), S (Satisfactory) and N (Needs Improvement). They're reported separately from achievement, so in most courses they don't raise or lower a student's mark. Here's what each one looks like day to day.
Responsibility
Fulfils commitments in the learning environment, completes and submits work on agreed-upon timelines, and manages their own behaviour.
Look for: coming prepared, meeting deadlines, following through on what they said they'd do.
Organization
Plans and follows a process for completing work, sets priorities and manages time, and gathers and uses information and resources to complete tasks.
Look for: a working planner or calendar, tidy notes, breaking a big assignment into steps.
Independent work
Monitors and revises their own plans, uses class time well, and follows instructions with minimal supervision.
Look for: getting started without reminders, staying on task in work periods.
Collaboration
Accepts different roles and does an equitable share of group work, responds positively to others' ideas, resolves conflicts, and shares information and resources.
Look for: listening, building on classmates' ideas, doing their part.
Initiative
Looks for new opportunities to learn, shows curiosity and interest, approaches new tasks positively, and advocates appropriately for themselves and others.
Look for: asking questions, trying the challenge question, seeking help early.
Self-regulation
Sets goals and monitors progress, seeks help when needed, reflects on strengths and next steps, and perseveres when things get hard.
Look for: using feedback, adjusting their approach, sticking with a hard problem.
Gathering evidence without extra paperwork
- Keep a simple tracker with the six skills across the top and a quick note when you see something notable.
- Use what you already collect: submission dates (responsibility), group work observations (collaboration), and reflections after tests (self-regulation).
- Ask students to self-assess before reporting periods. It's good assessment as learning, and it often matches your own read.
Writing the comment
Name a strength and a specific next step, like this:
Avery consistently completes and submits work on time and plans ahead for long tasks. Next steps: Avery will share her ideas more often during group work.
The free report card comment builder writes a separate learning skills comment: rate any of the six skills E, G, S or N, and it drafts the strengths and next steps for you.
Growing Success describes the learning skills in detail, with sample behaviours for each one.