Five Lies ELA Teachers Tell Themselves - #5: "Students are just lazy!"

This is something I hear quite often and it really gets under my skin.  What's worse is that many students have heard this so much about themselves, that they start to believe it.  So, what's so bad about this? 

First, it is not true.  There are rarely ever truly lazy students.  There are students who can't find ways to motivate themselves in your class or in school in general, but that doesn't mean they are lazy.  Many of those students who we have labeled "lazy" are not lazy at all when they see the point of an activity.  I have many boys who spend hours and hours after school playing basketball.  Certainly, they are not lazy.  But, they have had success with basketball, so they will continue to do it.

Second, the "lazy" label masks a much more difficult problem underneathe.  Let's start off with the success issue described above.  If you spend years doing something over and over again and failing at it, eventually you give up.  In secondary education, we typically get the student right after or as they are giving up.  So, what appears to be "lazy" is really just a cry for help.  Why should they do anything in the classroom when all they do is fail all the time?  One of the secrets of the best teachers out there is in order to help underachieving students, you must make them feel successful.  Make a big deal about little steps.  For many of these students, coming to school is a big step.  No, just showing up isn't the last step, but it can be a great first step.  And, we must recognize it as an important first step towards the larger goal.  Too many times, teachers focus on the larger goal, which for many students is too far away. 

If the student has had success in school but still appears lazy, then the problem might be emotional.  I've found that many of my students are severely depressed and this is what holds them back from achieving in school.  Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager?  It sucked!  What appears minor to us adults is a catastrophe to teenagers.  We must never forget that we are dealing with human beings who are struggling to identify themselves in the midst of uncontrollable bodies and hormones.  Add onto that, the fact that many of our underachieving students struggle with poverty or unsupportive family lives and you have a very depressing mix.

Third, the label of "lazy" very easily becomes an identity.  Remember that teenagers are trying to form an identity and if all the adults in their lives are telling them they are lazy, then they start to see themselves as that.  And, when you've discovered an identity, it is very difficult to change. 

What can we do instead?  We can find out the underlying problem.  If the student has given up on school, we need to make her feel successful in our classroom.  Small steps to a larger goal are extremely important.  Once a student begins to feel success in your classroom, there is a genuine snowball effect.  If the student is depressed, we need to get her help.  There should be medical and pyschological personnel in every single school in this country (if students aren't healthy physically or mentally, how can they learn?).  If it is neither of those things, we need to look at our curriculum.  We need to find ways to help students motivate themselves.  Notice I didn't say that we need to motivate them.  It is possible, but what has the student learned if we motivate them?  Dealing with difficult or boring tasks is a part of life and we all must learn to deal with them productively.  Now ... don't go using this as an excuse to continue churning out boring curriculum.  But, I've found that even when I push myself to my creative limit and come up with the most interesting curriculum I can muster, there is still one kid who's bored.  We cannot put blame on this one kid and call him lazy, we must help him!

"Lazy" is a dangerous label and has long term effects.  It is one thing to call a kid "lazy" behind their backs; it's ethically and morally outrageous to call a kid "lazy" to his face.

Comments

[NYC Educator]

I don't think it matters whether or not they're lazy. I'm lazy too.

But I gotta do what I gotta do, and they gotta do what they gotta do, and what I gotta do is make them do what they gotta do.

Otherwise, what do they need me for?

[the reflective teacher]

Ditto what NYC Educator said.

I've heard a lot of teachers in my school describe kids as lazy. This is a label that's easy to place upon students.

I know I've said some students are unwilling, and that some students refuse, and that some students just don't do the work, but I don't think I've ever called a kid lazy.

My only problem is finding those roads that lead me into why the student does not do what I ask. As you said, we should seek those underlying causes (and I agree with you). But sometimes it's difficult to find the way in.

Sometimes it's a conversation with the kid, sometimes it's taking them to a counselor. Sometimes it requires having daily meetings over nothing other than a hang-out session. Sometimes it requires giving freedom to the rest of the class so you can focus on that one kid who really needs a boost.

We gotta find a way to reach each student.

While I'm guilty of saying at least a few students just won't work, I know I've tried to find a way, and will try more diligently this coming year.

[Tim Fredrick's ELA Teaching Blog]

Sometimes the roads into the child's underlying problem can be very difficult to navigate. Calling a child "lazy" is a way to avoid the difficult parts of our job. I'm not saying we will always find the underlying causes of problems, but we should try. I object to the "lazy" label because it is not even trying.

[Nicole]

I agree that calling students "lazy" is pretty "lazy" of teachers. I have said this about students (not to students) in the past, but I will try to avoid it from now on. I was usually refering to a student who is capable and bright, but simply not doing the work required. I am sure there are much more complex explanations for such behavior, like "afraid to fail," or "under-stimulated", or even "depressed," to name a few.

[term papers writing service]

I completely agree with your nicole that lazy labeled is dangerous for students future.

[Tim Anderway]

everybody is lazy by nature. it takes the guts to survive in this competitive world. I think self-education is the best solution