What do the common phrases on school report cards REALLY mean
Private school teacher reveals truth about what phrases on REAL report cards mean – and why being a ‘good listener’ is a BAD thing
- Dr Selina Samuels teacher reveals what the report card really means
- A seemingly positive phrase like ‘a good listener’ can have a coded meaning
- Independent can mean they don’t share well, while social can mean annoying
An early learning expert has revealed what teachers really mean when writing common phrases on report cards – from ‘he knows his own mind’ which means ‘stubborn and uncooperative’ to ‘he has a lot of potential’ which means ‘lazy’.
Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer for Cluey Learning explains in a blog post that many of the terms used by teachers are sanitized and actually have a much deeper meaning.
The teacher, who spent several years working at a private school in Sydney, reveals that even a seemingly positive phrase like ‘a good listener’ can have a coded meaning – indicating that your child is not contributing to class.
Elsewhere, ‘independent’ can mean they don’t share well, while ‘social’ can indicate that they are distracting others while terms like ‘sophisticated understanding’ and ‘confident application’ are strong signals that your child is working on impressive level.
Dr Selina Samuels, Chief Learning Officer for Cluey Learning explained in a blog post that many of the terms teachers use are sanitized and actually have a much deeper meaning (stock image)
‘Has a lot of potential’
If a teacher says your child ‘has a lot of potential’, it shows that they are frustrated, they are smart but lazy, says Dr Samuels.
‘Very social’ or ‘enthusiastic’
‘Very social’, ‘enthusiastic’ and ‘enthusiastically engaged in discussions’ are codes for ‘chatty’ and ‘talkative’, says Dr Samuels.
This may mean they are distracted by the people around them – or are doing the annoying themselves. This can be helped by moving their seating plan.
‘Independent’
Students who are ‘independent’ may not be good dividers, says Dr Samuels.
‘A good listener’
If a teacher writes that your child is a ‘good listener’, chances are he or she is quiet, doesn’t ask questions or contribute to class.
‘Knowing his own mind’
This could mean your little one is ‘stubborn and uncooperative’
‘Uncertain’ or ‘inconsistent’
If a teacher says your child’s application is ‘erratic’ or ‘inconsistent’ it probably means they are playing to their strengths and ignoring anything that hasn’t been easy.
I can also be a disguised request to look at the family infrastructure around homework and act more consistently at home.
‘Less focus’
If a child is ‘lack of focus’, they apply themselves.
‘Skills that emerge’
“It tells you there’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon and they haven’t given up on it,” says Dr Samuels.
‘Happy to teach’
Dr Samuels said that your child’s teacher ended the report with, ‘He enjoys teaching’, possibly true. The teacher does not use the expression haphazardly.
‘Perfectionist’
‘This is not necessarily a good thing,’ said Dr Samuels.
Because it could indicate that they are particular about presentations, or are so afraid of making mistakes that they refuse to submit anything for feedback
Advertisement
#common #phrases #school #report #cards
Comments
Post a Comment