MS in Education Insight: 20 Ways to Provide Effective Feedback

Of all the vital tools, techniques, and theories you will acquire in your MSEd degree program, learning how to give feedback in the classroom may prove to be one of the most powerful.

When incorporated into your teaching strategies and delivered properly, feedback can inspire, motivate, and lift learners to greater academic achievement. In 20 Ways to Provide Effective Feedback for Learning, Laura Reynolds writes that becoming skillful at delivering feedback “is where the good teachers, the ones students remember forever in a positive light, separate themselves from the others.”

Her article is required reading in the Walden University MSEd course Creating an Effective Classroom Learning Environment. Follow along with other students pursuing an online master’s in education to learn 20 powerful ways of delivering feedback¹ that you can start using today:

1. Feedback should be educative in nature.
   Providing feedback means giving students an explanation of what they are doing correctly AND incorrectly. However, the focus of the feedback should be based essentially on what the students is doing right. It is most productive to a student’s learning when they are provided with an explanation and example as to what is accurate and inaccurate about their work. Use the concept of a “feedback sandwich” to guide your feedback: Compliment, Correct, Compliment.
2. Feedback should be given in a timely manner.
   When feedback is given immediately after showing proof of learning, the student responds positively and remembers the experience about what is being learned in a confident manner. If we wait too long to give feedback, the moment is lost and the student might not connect the feedback with the action.
3. Be sensitive to the individual needs of the student.
   It is vital that we take into consideration each student individually when giving feedback. Our classrooms are full of diverse learners. Some students need to be nudged to achieve at a higher level and others need to be handled very gently so as not to discourage learning and damage self-esteem. A balance between not wanting to hurt a student’s feelings and providing proper encouragement is essential.
4. Ask the four questions.
   Studies of effective teaching and learning (Dinham, 2002, 2007a; 2007b) have shown that learners want to know where they stand in regard to their work. Providing answers to the following four questions on a regular basis will help provide quality feedback. These four questions are also helpful when providing feedback to parents:
   • What can the student do?
   • What can’t the student do?
   • How does the student’s work compare with that of others?
   • How can the student do better?
5. Feedback should reference a skill or specific knowledge.
   This is when rubrics become a useful tool. A rubric is an instrument to communicate expectations for an assignment. Effective rubrics provide students with very specific information about their performance, comparative to an established range of standards. For younger students, try highlighting rubric items that the student is meeting or try using a sticker chart.
6. Give feedback to keep students “on target” for achievement.
   Regular check-ins with students let them know where they stand in the classroom and with you. Utilize the “four questions” to guide your feedback.
7. Host a one-on-one conference.
   Providing a one-on-one meeting with a student is one of the most effective means of providing feedback. The student will look forward to having the attention, and it allows the opportunity to ask necessary questions. A one-on-one conference should be generally optimistic, as this will encourage the student to look forward to the next meeting. As with all aspects of teaching, this strategy requires good time management. Try meeting with a student while the other students are working independently. Time the meetings so that they last no longer than 10 minutes.
8. Feedback can be given verbally, nonverbally, or in written form.
   Be sure to keep your frowns in check. It is imperative that we examine our nonverbal cues. Facial expressions and gestures are also means of delivering feedback. This means that when you hand back that English paper, it is best not to scowl.
9. Concentrate on one ability.
   It makes a far greater impact on the student when only one skill is critiqued versus the entire paper being the focus of everything that is wrong. For example, when I taught Writer’s Workshop at the elementary level, I would let students know that, for that day, I was going to be checking on the indentation of paragraphs within their writing. When I conferenced with a student, that was my focus instead of all the other aspects of their writing. The next day would feature a new focus.
10. Alternate due dates for your students/classes.
    Utilize this strategy when grading papers or tests. This strategy allows you the necessary time to provide quality, written feedback. This can also include using a rotation chart for students to conference with at a deeper, more meaningful level. Students will also know when it is their turn to meet with you and are more likely to bring questions of their own to the conference.
11. Educate students on how to give feedback to each other.
    Model for students what appropriate feedback looks like and sounds like. As an elementary teacher, we call this peer conferencing. Train students to give each other constructive feedback in a way that is positive and helpful. Encourage students to use post-it notes to record the given feedback.
12. Ask another adult to give feedback.
    The principal at the school I taught at would often volunteer to grade history tests or read students’ writing pieces. You can imagine how the students’ quality of work increased tenfold! If the principal is too busy (and most are), invite a “guest” teacher or student teacher to critique work.
13. Have the student take notes.
    During a conference over a test, a paper, or a general check-in, have the student do the writing while you do the talking. The student can use a notebook to jot down notes as you provide the verbal feedback.
14. Use a notebook to keep track of student progress.
    Keep a section of a notebook for each student. Write daily or weekly dated comments about each student as necessary. Keep track of good questions the student asks, behavior issues, areas for improvement, test scores, etc. Of course, this requires a lot of essential time management, but when it is time to conference with a student or parent, you are ready to go.
15. Return tests, papers, or comment cards at the beginning of class.
    Returning papers and tests at the beginning of class, rather than at the end, allows students to ask necessary questions and to hold a relevant discussion.
16. Use Post-it notes.
    Sometimes seeing a comment written out is more effective than just hearing it aloud. During independent work time, try writing feedback comments on a Post-it note. Place the note on the student’s desk. One of my former students had a difficult time staying on task, but he would get frustrated and embarrassed when I called him out on his inattentive behaviors in front of the class. He would then shut down and refused to do any work because he was mad that I humiliated him. I resorted to using post-it notes to point out when he was on task or not. Although it was not the most effective use of my time, it really worked for him.
17. Give genuine praise.
    Students are quick to figure out which teachers use meaningless praise to win approval. If you are constantly telling your students “Good Job” or “Nice Work” then, over time, these words become meaningless. Make a big deal out of a student’s A+ on that vocabulary test. If you are thrilled with a student’s recent on-task behaviors, go above and beyond with the encouragement and praise. Make a phone call home to let mom or dad know how thrilled you are with the student’s behavior. Comments and suggestions within genuine feedback should also be “focused, practical, and based on an assessment of what the student can do and is capable of achieving” (Dinham).
18. “I noticed …”
    Make an effort to notice a student’s behavior or effort at a task. For example: “I noticed when you regrouped correctly in the hundreds column, you got the problem right.” “I noticed you arrived on time to class this entire week.” Acknowledging a student and the efforts they are making goes a long way to positively influence academic performance.
19. Provide a model or example.
    Communicate with your students the purpose for an assessment and/or feedback. Demonstrate to students what you are looking for by giving them an example of what an A+ paper looks like. Provide a contrast of what a C- paper looks like. This is especially important at the upper learning levels.
20. Invite students to give YOU feedback.
    Remember when you finished a class in college and you were given the chance to “grade” the professor? How nice was it to finally tell the professor that the reading material was so incredibly boring without worrying about it affecting your grade? Why not let students give you feedback on how you are doing as a teacher? Make it so that they can do it anonymously. What did they like about your class? What didn’t they like? If they were teaching the class, what would they do differently? What did they learn the most from you as a teacher? If we are open to it, we will quickly learn a few things about ourselves as educators. Remember that feedback goes both ways, and as teachers it is wise to never stop improving and honing our skills.

Where Can You Learn More About Teaching Strategies?

The leading graduate programs for teachers are incubators for the most innovative ideas and best practices. Walden’s MS in Education degree program offers stimulating curriculum in more than a dozen specializations. Blaze your own teaching path in graduate programs like Elementary Reading and Literacy (PreK–6) (Non-Licensure), Integrating Technology in the Classroom (Grades K–12), or Mathematics and Science (Grades K–8). Perhaps Teacher Leadership (Grades K–12) is your passion. There are many ways to put your teaching degree to its highest use.

Choose the online master’s in education degree program that inspires you and become the inspiration—the one that students will forever remember as the educator who made a difference in their lives.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering an MS in Education (MSEd) degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.

¹Walden MSEd Curriculum Source: www.teachthought.com/technology/20-ways-to-provide-effective-feedback-for-learning

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.