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# working at his own pace

phrase (verb phrase: work at your own pace — working at his/her/their own pace; also «works at his own pace»)

«working at his own pace» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

1. (euphemism, school reports, polite) working very slowly, more slowly than the rest of the class, often not finishing the work.
2. (literal, positive) working at the speed that suits you, without being rushed, as in a self-paced course.

### In the lessons

Teachers use it in school reports and at parents' evenings to be kind: it describes a slow worker without saying «slow». The literal sense is praise for freedom, as in online courses or Montessori schools. Register: polite school jargon; used everywhere (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland). Related: «is working towards», «would benefit from», «needs encouragement».

### Examples

- Freddie is working at his own pace in maths.
- Report: Oliver is working at his own pace and sometimes needs reminding to finish tasks.
- Parents' evening: «He's working at his own pace — well, quite a slow pace, if I'm honest.»
- Mum, reading the report: «Working at his own pace? That means he's slow, doesn't it?»
- Chat: «Ha, my report said I'm working at my own pace.» «Lol, that's teacher for lazy.»
- Literal: The online course lets everyone work at their own pace.
- Literal: In the art club, children work at their own pace, with no time limits.

### Note

Trap: in a school report it is not pure praise; it gently says the child is slow or falls behind. In an advert for a course it is real praise. The pronoun changes: «at her own pace», «at their own pace», «at my own pace». Plain words: slowly, too slowly. «Pace» means speed, not «place». In a word problem, a slower pace means more time for the same work.