Pleasantdale 107 Believes Children Learn Best When...#4
Belief #4: Students receive effective feedback that fuels their natural desire to do better in a try, fail, and try again, growth mindset environment.
Feedback. Feedback is essential to supporting the growth and development of all people, including students in school. We all receive feedback each and every day. In fact, feedback comes to us in so many ways and often, we don't even realize we're receiving it. Feedback can come in the form of praise, criticism, advice, a disapproving look, or a pat on the back. The key to this belief in our district is the word "effective" placed before the feedback.
When we think about effective feedback in a school setting, many people will immediately think about grades. Grades are a form of feedback, but is it effective? What does a letter A, B, C, D, or F really mean when you are talking about math? Or science? Is an A the same in 4th grade as it is in 8th grade? My contention is that letter grades are not effective forms of feedback that promote student growth.
Here's an example of what I am saying. Think back to a time in your schooling when you took at test or turned in a paper. When the teacher returned the assignment after grading it, what was the first thing that you looked at when you received it? If you're like me, you probably looked at the top of the page to see the grade you earned. Was I right? Seeing what you got wrong or how you could have done better is much more effective.
So, again I ask what does that grade really mean? Does it mean that you demonstrated that you met the necessary standards of learning on that assignment? How do you know what to improve upon simply by looking at the letter grade (or percentage) that you received?
The effective feedback that is necessary to fuel a desire for students to improve comes in different ways. All feedback is best received when there is a relationship built on trust and the student believes the feedback is there to support their growth and development. Here are some examples for how teachers can provide and promote feedback for students (and parents can utilize many of the same techniques):
1. Verbal-Finding ways to have individual conferences with students is key to this type of feedback. For this feedback to be effective, there should be praise given for parts that are done well and then additional ideas for how the item could be improved is provided. The positive is key for students to remain positive and motivated. Another reminder is to ensure that the main points of the verbal feedback is written down since students won't always remember following the meeting.
2. Written-This type of feedback occurs most frequently in school and needs to be very thoughtfully done. Similar to verbal feedback, positives and next steps are necessary to support the students' growth. A difference is this feedback needs to be so clear that the students can independently read and apply it to future assignments.
3. From peers-Providing opportunities for peers to review work, especially during the process of an assignment, can be a great way for students to feel good about what they've been working on. Peers will provide great, effective feedback if guided in this process one time. In addition, by seeing others' work, student can have a better understanding of where they are at compared with others.
4. From the greater public-Publishing student work to a greater audience is motivating and can provide a wider range of feedback for the student. Letting students know that the assignment will be public can be the difference-maker for some who need that extra motivation or who want to change the world.
Students receiving effective feedback in a safe, growth mindset environment is key to student success and a belief here at Pleasantdale Middle School.
Feedback. Feedback is essential to supporting the growth and development of all people, including students in school. We all receive feedback each and every day. In fact, feedback comes to us in so many ways and often, we don't even realize we're receiving it. Feedback can come in the form of praise, criticism, advice, a disapproving look, or a pat on the back. The key to this belief in our district is the word "effective" placed before the feedback.
When we think about effective feedback in a school setting, many people will immediately think about grades. Grades are a form of feedback, but is it effective? What does a letter A, B, C, D, or F really mean when you are talking about math? Or science? Is an A the same in 4th grade as it is in 8th grade? My contention is that letter grades are not effective forms of feedback that promote student growth.
Here's an example of what I am saying. Think back to a time in your schooling when you took at test or turned in a paper. When the teacher returned the assignment after grading it, what was the first thing that you looked at when you received it? If you're like me, you probably looked at the top of the page to see the grade you earned. Was I right? Seeing what you got wrong or how you could have done better is much more effective.
So, again I ask what does that grade really mean? Does it mean that you demonstrated that you met the necessary standards of learning on that assignment? How do you know what to improve upon simply by looking at the letter grade (or percentage) that you received?
The effective feedback that is necessary to fuel a desire for students to improve comes in different ways. All feedback is best received when there is a relationship built on trust and the student believes the feedback is there to support their growth and development. Here are some examples for how teachers can provide and promote feedback for students (and parents can utilize many of the same techniques):
1. Verbal-Finding ways to have individual conferences with students is key to this type of feedback. For this feedback to be effective, there should be praise given for parts that are done well and then additional ideas for how the item could be improved is provided. The positive is key for students to remain positive and motivated. Another reminder is to ensure that the main points of the verbal feedback is written down since students won't always remember following the meeting.
2. Written-This type of feedback occurs most frequently in school and needs to be very thoughtfully done. Similar to verbal feedback, positives and next steps are necessary to support the students' growth. A difference is this feedback needs to be so clear that the students can independently read and apply it to future assignments.
3. From peers-Providing opportunities for peers to review work, especially during the process of an assignment, can be a great way for students to feel good about what they've been working on. Peers will provide great, effective feedback if guided in this process one time. In addition, by seeing others' work, student can have a better understanding of where they are at compared with others.
4. From the greater public-Publishing student work to a greater audience is motivating and can provide a wider range of feedback for the student. Letting students know that the assignment will be public can be the difference-maker for some who need that extra motivation or who want to change the world.
Students receiving effective feedback in a safe, growth mindset environment is key to student success and a belief here at Pleasantdale Middle School.
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