5 Dos and Don’ts of Giving Feedback
June is a month of feedback sessions – and while they’re one of the most important parts of the education, they are not really appreciated. To be honest, being a teacher is like being a somewhat confused jellyfish swimming in the endless Feedback Ocean. We give feedback to our students, or receive feedback from our directors of studies, managers, parents, or even students themselves – it’s the never-ending circle of more or less meaningful process.
Well, we’re professionals, so we’re quite used to feedback sessions, but the end of the school year can be pretty stressful anyway – that’s why I want to share with you five don’ts and dos regarding giving feedback. I hope you’ll find them useful, and if you have some extra tips that work well with you, I would be more than happy if you share them in the comments here or on my FB.
5 Don’ts: things to be avoided
Don’t focus on criticism
Avoid giving feedback that only shows the negative aspects. It’s important to balance constructive criticism with positive aspects as well. I know it can be hard, especially when you talk to a student who has failed all their tests. However, even if this is the case, you might find something positive to share, like how their attitude to learning has changed for the better or even their sense of humour that lightens the mood in the classroom.
Avoid comments ad personam
Feedback should be focused on the performance and not on personal qualities. Keep the feedback respectful and professional. This can be quite challenging when the student tries to get back at you blaming you for being unprofessional, spending too much time with your favourites or not focusing enough on their problems. This is the moment when you need to smile politely while ignoring personal remarks, never doing the same.
Don’t generalize
Provide specific examples when giving feedback (yup, that requires preparation!). This helps understand the context and work on improving specific areas. For example, instead of saying “it seems your test results are generally miserable”, present the results and discuss them in detail, showing the most problematic areas. It will take more time, that’s true, but will be far more relevant.
Avoid being vague
Be clear and specific. Vague statements like “You need to improve your English” are really not helpful. Instead, try to provide specific areas where improvement is needed and suggest actionable steps. I usually find some extra materials and websites students can use to work on their skills – if it’s possible I try to find the resources that will not only boost their abilities, but also refer to their hobbies and interests.
Don’t overwhelm with feedback
Offering too much feedback all at once can be overwhelming and, frankly, counterproductive. Focus on a few key areas for improvement – that’s how you can hope your students will remember them and actually work on them. However, it seems positive feedback is quite hard to be overwhelmed with, so don’t hesitate to share the good things you’ve noticed about your students!
5 Dos: things to be supported
Be specific
Provide specific examples of both the student’s strengths and areas for improvement based on observations. Use factual language and avoid subjective judgments. If your student wants to refer to a particular situation (“Do you remember when you told me I was disturbing the classes, but that wasn’t me, that was my friend!”), be prepared to talk it through.
Be professional and friendly
Being professional doesn’t exclude being friendly! Quite contrary – you’ve spent some time with your students and that would be weird if you were to give them feedback with a serious face! Smile and don’t be afraid to mention some personal stories (“When I first started learning English I was so scared to speak, that for a year I wasn’t able to move past ‘Hello’, you know?”), just remember: everything in moderation.
Use a constructive approach
Share your feedback so that it focuses on growth and improvement, not criticism. Offer suggestions and materials your student can use to work on their skills. Also, make sure to point out the areas where they are doing well to motivate and encourage them. For example, you can say “you’ve been clearly working on you communication skills, so I think you should focus on reading – it will definitely help you boost your vocabulary and make your speaking even more impressive!”.
Provide ongoing support
Offer resources, professional development opportunities, or mentorship to help the student improve. Support them in implementing the feedback and offer assistance along the way. Don’t leave your students without help, encourage them to work on their skills just as you have throughout the school year.
Actively listen
That’s probably the most important thing to remember. Allow the student to share their perspective and concerns. Be attentive, be empathetic, create an open and safe environment for dialogue. Remember – feedback goes both ways, you’re not a preacher, just a teacher (sorry for the terrible rhyme).
Hopefully, by following these simple guidelines, you will be able to create a positive and constructive feedback session for both your students and for yourself.
Good luck!
Loved those tips- most crucial features of a constructive feedback in a nutshell. I also noticed thata spontaneous verbal feedback given during the lesson works well.