In a course, Strategies to Close the Achievement Gap, that my colleagues, Elli Stern/Jennifer Wolfrum, and I teach, we ask participants
(teachers, counselors, administrators, tutors, nurses, etc.) to get into
a group and "become the expert" on an article that we have assigned for
homework. To this end, we then ask the group to construct a graphic
organizer, mnemonic, or other visual aid to help "teach" the other
groups about the article.
“Whether or not feedback is effective depends on what
students need to hear, not what you need to say,”
~ Susan Brookhart
Appeal to the
mind (cognition) and the heart (motivation).
Once
students feel they understand what to do and why, they are more likely to
develop a feeling that they have control over their own learning.
Be explicit and
clarify the goal
Expectations
and goals need to be described. It is important to give students, a clear
picture of end-of-unit achievement standards and how mastery will be assessed.
Create a climate of trust
Students
must understand that errors and misunderstandings are part of learning and not
be afraid of negative reactions from peers – or the teacher – if they make
mistakes. They need to “trust” that you care about them and want them to
achieve.
Describe, not
judge
Feedback
needs to be actionable information describing what the student did in relation
to goals, empowering intelligent adjustments. The best feedback compares work
to specific criteria or exemplars.
Encourage
If a
teacher cannot find something positive to say, then feedback is not what needs
to come next. Additional teaching needs to come next. Also, publically encouraging some
students and not all students, discourages many.
Focus on
students’ work and work processes, not on them personally
It’s not
helpful to talk about how smart or lazy a student is. Talk about the work. When
students generate their own feedback, set their own learning goals, and lead
conferences with their teachers, they become more empowered learners.
Give feedback in
small chunks
Focus on
a few bite-size chunks rather than trying to give feedback on everything.
Struggling students need to focus on one or two small steps they can take to
improve, with simple, clear vocabulary to help them out. Hold a 2-3-minute
mini-conference with each student once a week, giving concentrated bursts of usable
feedback.
Hold high expectations
Hold high
expectations for your student and with reminders that you are there to help
them meet those expectations to do the work.
Identify one or more strengths and at least one
next step
Sometimes
students aren’t aware of their strengths and need them reinforced. They often
need next steps pointed out. A teacher might say to a struggling student, “I
see you skipped this line. It might help to keep your place with your finger.”
Join with
students in the process
Students
should generate their own feedback and set their own learning goals. Rather
than telling the student all the things you notice about his or her work, start
by helping them ask good questions and notice areas for improvement, ”How does
this sound when I read it aloud?” What
do I notice about my sentences?“ When students lead conferences with their
teachers, they become more empowered learners.
Link feedback to criteria
Make sure feedback is positive, clear, and
specific
Specific
praise is better than “Great job!” – for example, “This is a great paper. I
especially appreciated the way you made a chart to summarize your information
and then discussed results point by point. That made it really clear.”
Teachers
should tell students one important thing they noticed that, if changed, will
likely lead to improvement.
Feedback should be followed by the
opportunity to digest, understand, and use it .The follow-up work should happen
before grades are given, ideally in the classroom where supervision and time
for questions is available.
Quick responses are important
The
quicker the better, so students get feedback while they still remember the
assignment and why they were doing it... Feedback can arrive more quickly when
teachers use technology or peer reviewers.
Refer to goals
Seek feedback
from students
Ask
students, “How can I help you?” Teachers who listen to students can adapt
lessons, clarify work demands, and provide missing information, all of which
helps students do better. It also helps student analyze their own
work/thinking, become reflective, and practice advocating for themselves.
Tailor feedback
to students
Novice
students benefit most from task feedback, somewhat more proficient students
from process feedback, and highly competent students thrive on feedback aimed
at self-regulation or conceptual understanding.
- Task feedback – This
feedback shows students how well they are doing on a particular task and how to
improve it.
- Process feedback – This feedback
might be suggested strategies to learn from errors, cues to seek information,
or ways to relate different ideas.
- Self-regulation feedback
– This feedback helps students monitor, direct, and regulate their own actions
as they work toward the learning goal – and helps build a belief that effort,
more than raw ability, is what produces successful learning.
Understanding should
be checked
“Do you
understand?” is not enough. Better to ask, “In your own words, tell me the
steps you need to take next.” “What
is the most important thing you heard me say?” or “What is the very next thing
you’re going to do on this paper?”
View
all students as a potential Martin Luther King, Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Louise
Erdrich, and/or Cesar Chavez.
You cannot know what future potential is in your
classroom, nor where your influence will end. A teacher is a tree, the seeds of which will populate the
world.
Words
should convey your confidence
The tone
of feedback, whether written or oral, should convey your confidence in the
student as a learner.
eXamine your own biases.
Students notice who you help, praise, call on,
etc. more or less than others.
You,
the teacher, have the power to encourage or discourage.
Choose your words carefully. Be aware of your actions.
Zoom
in on appropriate behavior.
Notice when positive things are happening and
use them to model in front of others.
