Delight Directed Learning - Transcript or Activity List?

I have a daughter that has been in Martial Arts since she's been 11. The last few years she's been helping teach the younger class, but doesn't qualify to be an instructor because she's not 18.  She has her Midnight Blue Belt which is a black belt. Could I write this down on her transcript as community service? Does it have to be signed or verified on her transcript? The top instructor tells my husband and I all the time, if she wasn't there to help teach, it would be almost impossible to have a class.  I do keep a log of how many hours she does.

~Marie in Indiana

Dear Marie,

With something that important, it's vital to have it on the transcript somewhere.

When I was in high school, I was involved in Choir.  I received high school music credit for the time I was in the class, but it was also listed as an activity on my transcript.

For this kind of experience, I would first estimate her hours to determine her high school credit.  Because she loves it and has done it for a long time, I'll just guess that it is a 1 credit class.  I would then list it as a class, probably calling it PE: Martial Arts.

On the transcript you can highlight the most significant high school activities. When you put it on her activity list, indicate which year she did it, and her level of mastery.  I would also list the teacher assistant portion as its own activity.  So the activity section of the transcript would look like this:  Martial Arts 9, 10, 11, 12 - Black Belt 12.  Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 9, 10, 11, 12.

I would keep a list for all her activities, and this would go on that list. I kept a separate piece of paper listing all activities.  I would also include it there.  Sometimes I suggest naming the business or group the student is involved with.  It might look like this:  Martial Arts 9 - Highline Martial Arts Academy, 100 hours

I would also keep track of her volunteer hours, on a separate Volunteer or Community Service list.  Something like this: Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 9,  Highline Martial Arts Academy, 100 volunteer hours
Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 10, 100 hours
Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 11, 100 hours
Martial Arts Assistant Teacher 12, 100 hours

The purpose for the activity list and the volunteer list is merely a record keeping device.  It's going to help you remember all these things your daughter is involved with.  That way when you are faced with a college application, and they ask for information on activities, you will have everything you need at your fingertips. Because it is just a record keeping device, some activities are  duplicates.  Activity and awards lists, and volunteer hours are not necessarily included on the transcript itself, although some parents choose to include that when it highlights the strengths of their child.  These lists are like a course description for the activity section of the transcript.  It provides more details than is included on the transcript.

It's important to avoid double-dipping with high school credit, and only recording each experience as one high school credit.  However, you can also use those experiences as an activity.  Just like my high school choir class was a high school credit class and a high school activity.

Thanks for the great question!

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