Feedback is a Gift: Accept It

January Growth Mindset: Feedback Is a Gift — Accept It!

It is so easy to encourage students with a simple phrase of “Good job” or “You are a great reader.” We slip into this habit when we just want to be sure our students know we are noticing them.  However, this month’s chapter in Growth Mindset Coach urges us to slow down and be more mindful of how and when we give feedback to our students.  Coincidentally, the feedback we provide students has a direct correlation to their mindset they have about learning.

Feedback With a Purpose in Mind

Focusing on the process has become a priority in education.  We are looking at the process of reflection, the process of writing, the process demonstrating knowledge rather than just focusing on an endpoint.  When we praise students for a job well done, we only focus on the person or the product, implying that we have a fixed mindset about them.  This can give students a false sense of security, or if we have given negative praise, it can completely deflate them.  In these situations, students associate this praise as an assessment of their intelligence or who they are as a person.  We need to consider that our feedback should focus on the targeted task and how that was performed.  This allows students the opportunity to make a change, demonstrating a growth mindset.

If you would like a concrete example of how students are affected in this way, watch this brief video which highlights some research by Carol Dweck. Here she experiment conducted a study with students which clearly demonstrates how mindsets are affected by praise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXrV0_3UjY&list=PLbp-kjGCIt_VMt4VFSSnb82uOzBeUxct2&index=9

Teachers Aren’t the Only Ones….

As we make shifts in our instruction to be more student-led, it is a perfect time to allow for students to take an active role in providing feedback to their peers as well.  If we work together as a learning community, we can foster deeper learning while promoting student empowerment.  The following sentence stems provided in this chapter can be used by teachers and students alike to prompt feedback.  

I noticed how…

Look at how much progress you’ve made on…

I see a difference in this work compared with…

I admire how hard you have worked on…

I can see you really enjoyed learning…

Could it make a difference if you…

Have you considered trying a different strategy to…

You’re on the right track here, and might consider…

If you are considering introducing peer feedback to your students, there are many ways to get started.  This video, from The Teaching Channel, highlights a primary classroom where students are learning to give specific feedback in writing. Opening students eyes to provide feedback to their peers helps themselves have deeper understanding of the content as well as their peers.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/growth-mindset-young-students

As always, if you would like some support in exploring feedback in your classroom, don’t hesitate to ask your instructional coaches.