Ever
do a great job on something yet no one says anything about it? Put your all
into a work project, only to have your boss murmur, “Nice work” in passing?
Everyone needs feedback, good and bad. Especially students. Feedback is one of
the more tenuous aspects of teaching. It’s a dance between some positive
comments to a critical (but not negative) review of the work. This delicate balance is a fine
ballet put on by some teachers and an Elaine-dance (think Seinfeld) by others. I fall somewhere in between.
Several
years ago I attended grad school. There was a LOT of writing. Don’t get me
wrong; I love to write, but the volume even taxed me. However, one of the greatest
lessons learned during that time was the importance of quality feedback. How did
I learn that? By being on the receiving end. After turning in
papers or written work, I looked forward to getting my stuff returned, not so
much for the grade but for the comments made by the professors. To be honest,
some modeled much stronger feedback than others. It set a standard for what I did
and didn’t want to do in my own classroom.
So
what is feedback for learning? I think it’s a way as a teacher to guide
students in the learning process. At the end of the day when I’m still
correcting papers, it’s tempting to write “Nice work” or “Good job” at the end
of a paper. But then I remind myself how inadequate that would have been for me
had I gotten comments like that in my own work. The words I received from
teachers prompted me to deeper thinking or consideration of new ways to approach
something. In other words, it was valuable feedback. Words I could put into
practice. Words I could use.
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Photo courtesy of https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelsphotos/282239738/ |
Since
getting my masters, my approach to feedback has changed. It’s still not great,
but it’s a lot better than previously. I try to think of what I would like to
receive from a teacher—instruction as to how to improve a piece of writing
structurally, insights/connections/ questions that arise as a result of
something I’ve written, or comments about the effectiveness of my writing. I
try to base my feedback on these three things.
Feedback
is an ever-improving area in my teaching realm. I spend time thinking about
what I’m saying because it’s so important. I’ve seen quality feedback motivate
students and lazy feedback stall them in their writing. So what’s a teacher to
do when giving their comments? Look for the good first. Comment on what needs
improvement. Finally, look for the good, overall, in the project. Teens are
just like adults. We all respond to feedback. The better it is, the better the
response.
No
matter what, giving students my best in this area requires effort. Concentrated
effort. When I get tired of reading papers and want to take the easy way, I
remember my anticipation in grad school to getting back my assignments. And
that makes all the difference.
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