Do I really have to give feedback?
Over the years, I have heard countless teachers complain about giving students feedback.
“It’s time consuming.”
“I don’t know what to write.”
“I don’t have time between classes.”
Or
“I’m too tired at the end of the day to write feedback.”
Like everything in life, there are many excuses not to do something.
However, for the sake of your students making real progress it’s absolutely essential.
We have to inform, encourage, and motivate them so they continue studying and practicing.
We know that giving students feedback has a positive effect on student learning
(https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learning-achievement/)
In fact, it has so much of an effect that we should never be putting it on the back-burner.
And I’m not talking about high fives. That isn’t feedback!
Know when to give feedback
There are many advantages to teaching online. One of my favorites things is digital quizzes.
Of course, first there’s the fact that I don’t have to mark the quiz.
On top of that, they give you the ability to identify common mistakes that students are making.
If you can identify something that students are having trouble with, it eliminates the guesswork.
Teach the lesson in a new, better, clearer, more interactive way with more examples, practice and repetition.
Look at the quiz results. Are there questions and areas that multiple students are having difficulty with?
Data is useful only if you’re using it. (Pocket Passport quizzes come give you comprehensive reports on student performance)
If there are common problems, giving them individual feedback on that point is a huge waste of time. Reteach it to the class and spend some extra time on it.
Even better, recognize the problem in front of the whole class. “I noticed that many of you are having trouble with telling stories in the past. Let’s practice this again today in a new way.”
DON’T point out any particular students. Use it as a way to calm and encourage your students that they aren’t the only ones not understanding something.
General Guidelines for Giving Feedback
The first thing you need to ask and address is: ”Will it be actionable and useful?”
Telling them, “Great job” and “You were really chatty in class today” is useless feedback. It isn’t going to help them.
Consider these three things as a guide to giving good feedback:
1. Be kind – start with positives rather than focusing on things they didn’t do well.
Ask things as a question rather than a definitive statement.
2. Be specific – clearly tell them what did well and what they need to work on.
3: Tell them how they can improve – give them ways to get better. You really must show, guide or teach them how to improve.
Let’s look at an example:
Hi Emmy,
You always respond with full sentences and answer questions that you are asked by other students. Great job.
Remember to explain what, why, who, where and when (use: because, so, and, etc.) and don’t forget to ask your classmates their opinions.
Tips:
Practice making sentences using the following conjunctions: and, because, so, and then.
Finally, don’t wait to give them feedback. Giving students LOTS of feedback once or twice every 6 months isn’t enough.
The example above is clear, concise and will keep your students motivated and on the right track.
Be kind, specific and helpful.
Do you want 100 Examples of Feedback? Email me: jeff@pocketpassport.com
