Don’t Let Teacher Feedback Disappear Over the Holidays
How to capture your child’s end-of-term observations and turn them into a plan that actually changes term 2
That Report Sitting on the Kitchen Counter
It’s the last week of term. Your child comes home with a crumpled envelope. Inside, there’s a report — and maybe some scribbled teacher comments on an assessment sheet.
You read it. Your stomach does that familiar thing. Some of it stings. Some of it you already knew. And some of it makes you think, wait — they noticed that too?
Here’s what usually happens next: the holidays start, the report gets buried under December groceries and holiday chaos, and by the time term 2 arrives — that feedback has evaporated. Gone. Like it never existed.
But that feedback? It’s gold. And if you capture it properly in the next few days, it can change your child’s entire next term.
“Teachers see twenty-five children of the same age, every day, for years. They know what’s typical — and they can tell you whether your child’s difficulties are usual or unusual. That perspective is irreplaceable.”
Why Teacher Observations Are More Valuable Than You Think
You see your child every day. You’ve probably got one, two, maybe three kids. Your sense of “normal” is calibrated to your family.
Your child’s teacher? They’ve got a classroom full of same-age children to compare with. They see focus, behaviour, social skills, and emotional regulation playing out in the most demanding environment your child faces daily. School is structured, unforgiving, and relentless. It’s where ADHD shows itself most clearly.
Homework battles, morning chaos, meltdowns after school. You adjust to your child. You reduce demands in tough moments.
Focus across subjects, social dynamics with peers, behaviour when medication peaks and fades, independence with tasks.
Your child’s paediatrician or therapist can’t treat effectively with only half the picture. Teacher feedback completes the triangle.
If your child started medication in term 1, their teacher has now seen them both ways — before and after. That comparison is invaluable.
And here’s the thing most parents miss: not all teacher feedback is equal. “He had a good term” tells you almost nothing. But “He struggles to start tasks without a prompt and loses track after the second instruction” — that’s a sentence you can build a plan around.
What Actually Happens to Most End-of-Term Feedback
The Holiday Wash-Away Effect
I see this in my practice constantly. Parents come in for a follow-up in term 2, and I ask: “What did the teacher say at the end of last term?” The answer is almost always the same — a vague memory, a general impression, nothing specific enough to act on.
It’s nobody’s fault. Holidays are survival mode. But those lost observations mean we’re starting term 2 blind — guessing instead of planning.
Let me paint a picture. A mom — let’s call her Priya — came to see me in February. Her son Arjun was on Concerta and doing “okay-ish.” She remembered the teacher had mentioned something about anxiety during tests. Or was it that he wasn’t finishing? She couldn’t quite recall.
When we eventually got structured feedback from Arjun’s new teacher, it turned out the issue was very specific: he froze during timed assessments. Not general anxiety. Not poor understanding. Time pressure. That one detail led us to request extra time as an accommodation — and his marks jumped 15% in one term.
One specific observation. One adjustment. A completely different outcome. But we lost an entire term because that feedback wasn’t captured.
How to Capture and Use Teacher Feedback Before It Disappears
You don’t need to be organised. You don’t need a fancy system. You just need to do three things in the right order — and do them this week, while the observations are still fresh.
Write Down the Specifics — Tonight
Grab the report, the assessment comments, the WhatsApp from the teacher — whatever you’ve got. Pull out the concrete observations. Not impressions. Not “he’s doing well.” The actual behaviours the teacher noticed. Write them on your phone. Two or three is enough.
Ask the Right Questions Before Term Ends
If you can still reach the teacher, ask one focused question: “What’s the single thing that would make the biggest difference for my child next term?” Teachers often know exactly what would help — they just haven’t been asked.
Share Those Observations With Your Child’s Team
Before term 2 starts, pass those specific notes to whoever manages your child’s care — paediatrician, psychologist, occupational therapist, or the school’s learning support coordinator. Specific observations are the building blocks of a better plan.
What Counts as “Specific” Feedback?
“She’s not reaching her potential.”
“He needs to try harder.”
“She’s a bit behind.”
“His behaviour is concerning.”
“She forgets her reader every single day.”
“He shouts out answers without raising his hand.”
“She cries before every maths assessment.”
“He can’t find his things in his bag.”
See the difference? The vague ones make you feel bad. The specific ones give you something to work with. Every one of those actionable examples points to a specific brain-based challenge — working memory, inhibitory control, anxiety, organisation — and each one has a response.
What to Do With It Once You Have It
Write it down somewhere that won’t disappear. Your phone’s notes app is fine. A sticky note on the fridge works. Email it to yourself. The format doesn’t matter. What matters is that it survives the holidays.
Then, before the new term begins, share it. Forward that note to your child’s paediatrician. Mention it at the next therapy appointment. Bring it to the start-of-year meeting with the new teacher. That two-minute action closes the loop between what the teacher sees and what the treatment team needs to know.
The Treatment Triangle
I can’t treat your child effectively with only parent reports. I need teacher feedback to know what happens during school hours. I need your observations to know what happens at home. And I need to examine your child to check their physical health.
Missing any leg of this triangle means incomplete information — and guesswork where there should be a plan.
⚡ Quick Win Tonight
Remember This
Teacher feedback is the view from inside the cockpit. You’re watching from the ground. Your child’s doctor is reading the instruments. All three perspectives are needed to fly the plane.
Don’t let the holidays wash it away. Write it down while it’s fresh.
Ready to Build a Better Plan for Term 2?
Dr Flett offers compassionate ADHD assessments and follow-up support at The Assessment Centre in Kloof, Durban. Zoom consultations available for families across South Africa.
031 1000 474 8 Village Road, Kloof, Durban | drflett.com