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Secondary education

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Original poster

'lazy' is this a word teachers should use in reports??

78 replies

3076Worb · 05/01/2018 13:01

My son is on daily report at the moment (mainly for his organisation and focus, as he has ADHD). One of his teachers wrote in his report yesterday 'Lazy. Didn't follow instructions and did not complete the work'
Am I being totally oversensitive? I don't think teachers should be using such emotive terms for any child, but esp. for someone who has ADHD. It seems this teacher has assumed his behaviour is down to laziness and not lack of focus.

OP posts:
LockedOutOfMN · 05/01/2018 13:24

I'm a teacher and I try not to use the word lazy when talking to students about their work or to parents. (I do use it when students are too lazy to do things like throw away wastepaper).

If I had a pound for every time I skirted around the subject of "effort" at parents' evening and a parent said, "Yes, he / she is lazy," I'd be retired and living in a mansion.

Students who have ADHD can also be lazy. In this particular instance, I'd speak to your son about this particular lesson and, if you feel it's necessary, then speak to the teacher too. Is this his regular teacher or was it a cover teacher? Does the teacher know your son's diagnosis and the specialist advice for how to give him instructions and support him in the classroom? In our school, like many others I expect, SEND information is often communicated very poorly so that classroom teachers don't know about diagnoses or recommended methods of support for individual students. Of course, this isn't right, but if this is the case then the teacher (if they're your son's regular teacher) might well be glad of an opportunity to talk to you about your son's needs.

Moussemoose · 05/01/2018 13:30

Is you son lazy?
Was the teacher being accurate?

"X needs to ensure he tries as hard as he can in every lesson"

"X does not always work to the best of his ability"

Both these phrases mean "X is being lazy" - it just takes longer to write.

physicskate · 05/01/2018 14:45

Should use? Probably not, but I agree that these reports need to be filled in quickly, with little time to either compose thoughts or be diplomatic. Some of my classes have four, five, six kids on report. I don't have. Whole minute to think about and write on each one - I'm too busy teaching!!!

I think you may be being over sensitive, but ask your son if he tried to follow the instructions and ask to see the work he completed during the lesson. That's good parenting. Not automatically being defensive over the use of a single word.

TeenTimesTwo · 05/01/2018 14:51

I agree I would rather teachers were direct.
But if your son couldn't do the work as opposed to couldn't be bothered to do the work, then lazy is the wrong term.

NannyOggsKnickers · 05/01/2018 14:53

I don’t use the word lazy but I often want to. I really wish teachers could be more direct with parents.

You should also think about your priorities here. You are on the attack because a teacher used the word lazy in a report but don’t seem to want to dig deeper into whether he is lazy and whether he needs a kick up the bum to get going (even a quite gentle and caring one).

His additional needs aren’t the point really. I teach a lot of kids with ASD and ADHD and I know what is a good work level for them in a lesson. This teacher obviously feels that your son could do better and is frustrated that he didn’t. That’s what you should be concerned about.

FYI- no work and not following instructions is code for ‘your child dicked around all lesson’. So at least they coded part of it.

AlexanderHamilton · 05/01/2018 14:53

My son is often lazy (he has an asd & I suspect ADHD). It means he does the minimum he knows he can get away with rather than what he is capable of.

Bellamuerte · 05/01/2018 14:57

I wouldn't have used the word "lazy". Parents tend to find it offensive even if it's true. I'd say the same thing in a polite way, e.g. "Does not work to the best of his ability", "Is capable of achieving more than he actually does", etc.

PocketCoffeeEspresso · 05/01/2018 15:07

I think it depends. We're used the word 'lazy' with teachers, and they to us, when it clearly is him being lazy. BUT there's a world of difference between that, and someone calling a child lazy because they haven't bothered to understand the child.

eg. DS1 is lazy because he only writes one sentence for each section of his book report, but he's not lazy because of his untidy writing - he works very hard on that, and finds it very difficult - the first, well, it's hard, but he is lazy for not writing 6 more words. The second is misunderstanding how hard it is for him to write tidily.

PocketCoffeeEspresso · 05/01/2018 15:09

I'd say the same thing in a polite way, e.g. "Does not work to the best of his ability", "Is capable of achieving more than he actually does", etc.

ROFL - I read my kids reports giggling to myself at how wonderfully creative the teachers are when saying things about my kids (I'm very realistic about their strengths and weaknesses) - I know that (for instance) they want to say that he could talk the hind leg off a donkey, never shuts up, and has an opinion on everything - but they'll say something like 'enthusiastically participates in class discussions and is very willing to act as spokeperson'

RavingRoo · 05/01/2018 15:10

Lazy suggests the teacher believes your ds can achieve better if he works harder. Tbh you would be doing your ds a disservice by ignoring that fb - my db was a lazy sod too but as he was always at the top of his class he never got called out on it until he started work.

mountford100 · 05/01/2018 15:21

Wrong posting SORRY

wednesdayswench · 05/01/2018 15:55

If my DS was because by lazy, I'd want the know and not have it 'dressed up' as something else.

I wouldn't be posting on MN about a word or phrase I didn't like, I'd be swiftly dealing with his bad behaviour.

wednesdayswench · 05/01/2018 15:56

*being

Pengggwn · 05/01/2018 17:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DeloresJaneUmbridge · 05/01/2018 17:30

He COULD be lazy.
He COULD also be reacting to his environment
Tbh a kid with ADHD being on report shows me that the school may not be adequately meeting their needs.

This is not necessarily the fault of the school. Schools have faced massive cuts in funding over the past few years...it's why I pulled my son out of mainstream.

It sounds like they have identified that your son has executive function issues (like most children with ADHD) and are penalising him for it. Would they put a kid in a wheelchair on report because their disability means they need to use a wheelchair? No? Then why are they putting a child with ADHD on report for executive function issues rather than finding ways of helping him address them?

The likely answer to that is that they haven't the time to help him keep track of things. And is disability is invisible ...

Jacobsbread · 05/01/2018 17:37

Hhm... in a formal end of year report I wouldn't use it.. but on a monitor sheet then yes possibly. Especially if he's spent the lesson dicking about and done bugger all...i think you're possibly dodging the issue here.

Pengggwn · 05/01/2018 17:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CraftyGin · 05/01/2018 17:40

Some kids are lazy. It might as well be said. It could be dressed up as sub-optimal work ethic, I suppose.

Jacobsbread · 05/01/2018 17:41

Oh and didn't follow instructions... id want to know if that meant he was being disruptive or whether that meant he didnt complete the correct piece of work etc.
I find many parents of pupils with adhd don't bother to address behaviour as apparently the wee souls can't help it. Which is bullshit as many of the pupils with adhd behave well... if the parents are on their game and actually you know... parent.

RavenWings · 06/01/2018 06:33

If it's a daily report it was probably filled in in under 30 seconds, along with a whole load of other paperwork that needs to be done.

Personally I approve them not sugar coating their comments about his behaviour - you're crystal clear and then when meetings come around this won't be a shock to you.

youarenotkiddingme · 06/01/2018 06:42

Is the report alongside a specific smart plan to help him learn the skills he needs to be become more organised and focussed?

Because if it's not - what's it designed to do? What is the outcome they are hoping to achieve with the report?

sashh · 06/01/2018 06:51

It seems this teacher has assumed his behaviour is down to laziness and not lack of focus.

It might be, but he could always be lazy in a lesson too. Ask him. Is there somewhere for you to write comments?

HoppingPavlova · 06/01/2018 06:55

If he is on daily report for lack of organisation and focus and is described as lazy this would indicate his ADHD is not being optimally controlled. Can you not address this? Sounds like current meds are not working and alternatives or dose needs to be looked at. Maybe focus your efforts with this rather than a word on a report.

I’m a parent of a child with ASD and ADHD amongst many other things. They always have lazy or words to that effect written on their reports in relation to subjects they have no interest in. It’s true and it’s part of the ADHD and that aspect will likely never change BUT it is true, it is what it is. That comment has never come up in a subject they are interested in as then they tend to hyperfocus if anything. However, whenever school has fed back issues re focus, organisation, behaviour etc we are extremely grateful as it means we can then work with their dev paed re optimising meds. So in this regard we think of the schools direct feedback as helpful/collaborative rather than adversarial. Maybe try and work with school in this regard?

Broken11Girl · 06/01/2018 07:07

No of course the teacher shouldn't have called a kid lazy. Appalling. But of course the MN league of super defensive teachers who can do no wrong and DC are always at fault have arrived to pile on.