The Power of feedback

What is feedback?

Feedback is assessment of progress towards a goal and it is an important cue for teachers to know if students need more information or teaching. When students get feedback about their progress they become motivated, engaged and are able to perform as self regulated learners.
It is important to make a difference between feedback and praise or grade. When teachers give feedback they provide students with the necessary information to help them achieve their goals. It happens mainly during the learning process, not afterwards.
Students must receive feedback from his or her teacher, but can the learner receive feedback from peers or from themselves? The answer is YES! Peer feedback helps them to learn from each other, share opinions, gain confidence and master metacognitive skills which provide them with the resources needed to adjust their learning strategies to achieve their goals.

Types of feedback

Self Evaluating (Metacognition)

When  the students use metacognitive skills they become more responsible of their own learning, more critical and more independent. Self evaluation increases student engagement and achievement.

In every lesson the teacher should present the agenda, that is the goal that the student is expected to achieve. Make sure the goal is well worded and clear for the student understanding.

All students in your class should believe that what they are doing has a purpose and that purpose should drive them to put forth the effort to master it. They may not like the work but the work must have meaning and value.

Peer feedback

It allows students to evaluate each other and reteach. Let students talk about their goals and level of understanding of the lesson. This will help them to process, clarify ideas and refocus.

A nice activity to do in class with your students is called "Clock partners". Students draw an analogue clock with numbers. They move around the room asking other students to meet at a certain "time". When the teacher asks students to find their "1 o clock" partner, they find each other to talk about what they learnt in class.


Teacher informal interaction in class

Teachers should always provide a meaningful feedback before, during and after assignments, tests and project presentations. When providing feedback it’s always good to lead with positive feedback and then address the area that needs improvement. Feedback should always be specific and offer strategies for improvement. Teach students to set goals based on feedback. After students receive feedback and track it, they should set new goals based on their progress. At the start of the term you can make a worksheet that lists, for instance: on the horizontal axis all assignments and on the vertical axis the learning goals (reading, listening, writing, speaking). Students make a copy of the document and they work together with the teacher through the term to track their progress.

In the link below you can get lots of ideas and printables for your classroom!
Classroom Goals - FREE resource


When the teacher designs questions to seek reteaching, evaluate projects and assignments it is essential that she walks around the classroom, listens to what students are discussing, monitors and records what she can hear and see. As the teacher moves around the room she can interact briefly and give specific feedback to the students.

Sources:
Feedback: The Hinge That Joins Teaching and Learning by Jane E Pollock
Empower: What Happens When Student Own Their Learning by John Spencer and A.J Juliani