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It seems as if it was yesterday that I was a young middle school student giving a class presentation on the lifespan of the killer whale. While I was prepared, I was also horribly nervous. At the conclusion of my speech I was given verbal student feedback from my teacher-in front of the entire class! Needless to say, it wasn't glowing. I remember that feedback to this day because it was negative, defeating and very embarrassing.

Despite all of my hard work, my seventh grade teacher ripped my presentation into shreds. I understand now that the teacher was trying to hone my presentation skills, but did he have to do it in front of the entire seventh grade science class? Let's just say that my speech delivery skills weren't up to par and because of this experience, I stumbled through many public speeches for a long time afterward. It really is amazing I went on to become a teacher.

As teachers, it is essential that we make the process of providing feedback a positive, or at least a neutral, learning experience for the student.

Unfortunately, many students have similar "educational" experiences like mine everyday. Why is it that some teachers think that giving feedback must be negative and corrective because that is the only way a student will learn? The only thing I learned from my seventh grade experience was that public speaking, no matter how much I prepared, was bound to be a disaster.
As teachers, it is essential that we make the process of providing feedback a positive, or at least a neutral, learning experience for the student.
So what exactly is feedback? Feedback is any response from a teacher in regard to a student's performance or behavior. It can be verbal, written or gestural. The purpose of feedback in the learning process is to improve a student's performance- definitely not put a damper on it. The ultimate goal of feedback is to provide students with an "I can do this" attitude.

Sometimes We Have To Dig Deep

When feedback is predominately negative, studies have shown that it can discourage student effort and achievement (Hattie & Timperley, 2007, Dinham). Like my experience, the only thing I knew is that I hated public speaking and I would do anything possible to get out of it. As a teacher, most of the time it is easy to give encouraging, positive feedback.

However, it is in the other times that we have to dig deep to find an appropriate feedback response that will not discourage a student's learning. This is where the good teachers, the ones students remember forever in a positive light, separate themselves from the others.

A teacher has the distinct responsibility to nurture a student's learning and to provide feedback in such a manner that the student does not leave the classroom feeling defeated. Here you will find 20 ideas and techniques on how to give effective feedback that will leave your students with the feeling they can conquer the world.

20 Ways to Provide Effective Student Feedback
1. Student 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. Student feedback should be given in a timely manner.
When student 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 individual when giving student feedback. Our classrooms are full of diverse learners. Some students need to be nudged to achieve at a higher level and other needs 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 4 questions.
Studies of effective teaching and learning (Dinham, 2002, 2007a; 2007b) have shown that learners want to know where they stand in regards to their work. Providing answers to the following four questions on a regular basis will help provide quality student 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. Student 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 lets them know where they stand in the classroom and with you. Utilize the '4 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 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. Student feedback can be given verbally, non-verbally or in written form.
Be sure to keep your frowns in check. It is imperative that we examine our non-verbal 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 student feedback.
The principal at the school I taught at would often volunteer to grade history tests or read student's writing pieces. You can imagine how the student's 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, 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 the feedback is meant for. 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 student 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 student 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 as teachers.

Laura Reynolds is a former fourth grade teacher with a Masters degree in Education from Drake University and a BA degree in Psychology from the University of Iowa. She currently works as an education consultant and curriculum writer. You can find her on @laurareynolds75 and Google+.

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Giving Student Feedback: 20 Tips To Do It Right | InformED

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It seems as if it was yesterday that I was a young middle school student giving a class presentation on the lifespan of the killer whale. While I was prepared, I was also horribly nervous. At the conclusion of my speech I was given verbal student feedback from my teacher-in front of the entire class!

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Conferring Toolkits: Record Keeping

Detailed records of small group and 1:1 conferences are one of the most important items in your conferring toolkit. Why? Keeping records:

Helps distribute your time equitably amongst students.

See the tracks of your teaching and monitor student growth.

Helps you determine next steps with each student, small groups, or the whole class.

Some people keep weekly status of the class forms while others keep detailed notes about every student. It doesn't matter how you choose to keep as long as you have a system that informs your instruction and is useful to you.

If you've never kept records inside of a conferring toolkit before, you have a choice to make before you get started. Will you keep notes on paper or will you use technology to type up your notes as you meet with students during independent writing time?

Here are my thoughts on handwritten and digital records:

Handwritten

When I had my classroom, I tinkered with my record-keeping forms regularly. I eventually settled on something like this:

It was sloppy. No one could read it. But no one had to since my notes were for my own use to monitor and track student progress. Once I left the classroom and began leading presentations on conferring with teachers, I updated them my forms so they'd look slicker. (Click here or here to see these forms.) While handwritten notes worked for me when I was in the classroom, I don't think I'd go back to them again since I have become comfortable with digital record-keeping in the past two years.

My iPad has become the place where I keep my conferring records when I work with kids in classrooms now. I've worked with students in five different places this school year. I'm not about to trust myself to bring the right notebook when I go to a given school. Therefore, I store everything digitally in Evernote, which makes pulling up a student's conferring notes fast since I have Evernote Premium. (Click here to view a guest blog post Cathy Mere wrote about using Evernote for conference notes.)

NOTE TO COACHES OR CONSULTANTS: Evernote is a fabulous place to store your conferring notes since it syncs with your smartphone and computer. It cuts down on the amount of paper you will need to carry from classroom-to-classroom or between schools.

I could use Evernote exclusively - using Cathy Mere's incredible system - but I found something that works better for me. I use KustomNote, in conjunction with Evernote, while I am in the midst of a conference. I find it helpful to have the structure of a KustomNote template (I have built separate templates for small group strategy lessons and 1:1 conferences.) to type in while I'm meeting with students. Because I'm in multiple places, having a template that prompts me to record the student's school and grade level helps me with the kind of record-keeping I do as I travel around to different classrooms.

Here's how KustomNote works with Evernote:

1. I type my notes directly into a KustomNote template, which goes to a pre-assigned notebook in Evernote. (I set up the Evernote notebook I wanted template entries to go to when I created each KustomNote template.)

2. Press "save note."

3. Go to Evernote and sync. The note appears in the pre-selected Evernote notebook.

4. From there I can tag notes, add photos of student work, and/or audio clips of a conference with a student.

Some folks might be unfamiliar with KustomNote. (I know about it thanks to Jodi Mahoney.) So, here are a couple things to help get you started if you're considering using KustomNote in conjunction with Evernote.

First, here's a look at the way a 1:1 conferring note appears on KustomNote and Evernote:

Second, if you'd like a 1:1 conference template to get you started with KustomNote, click here to view a public template I created.

* * * * *

I believe conferring notes are one of the most important things you can keep in your conferring toolkit. It doesn't matter if they're scrawled on paper or are typed on a tablet that resides in your conferring toolkit. All that matters is that the records you keep will help you to better understand your students as writers.

Take Our Poll

Let's chat on Monday, May 11th at 8:30 p.m. EDT, when the six of us host a Twitter Chat about conferring toolkits. Just search and tag #TWTBlog to participate.

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Detailed records of small group and 1:1 conferences are one of the most important items in your conferring toolkit. Why? Keeping records: Helps distribute your time equitably amongst students. See the tracks of your teaching and monitor student growth. Helps you determine next steps with each student, small groups, or the whole class.

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P. 168 and 169

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The Attention. Every child needs one-on-one conversations with an adult as often as possible. Adolescents, by nature of their age, struggle with identity, fairness, stress, and a slew of other issues that contribute to all kinds of problems. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. reports that "9 out of 10 Americans who meet the medical criteria for addiction started smoking, drinking, or using other drugs before age 18." This is not surprising since according to this study, "75% of all high school students have used addictive substances, including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine."

I know there are many reasons for teenagers to partake in these substances. I also know that many students think that adults do not care, or will not notice, if they are in class, participating in class, or lucid in class. One way to show our adolescent students that we care is to talk with them. And face-to-face conversations about books and reading is a pretty safe way to do so, not to mention that we model authentic conversations about reading when we do.

Try questions like:

How's it going? (Thanks, Carl Anderson)

Why did you choose this book?

Do you know anyone else who has read this book? What'd she think?

How'd you find the time to read this week?

What's standing in the way of your reading time?

The Relationship. Once students know they can trust us, they will tell us things about their lives, their struggles, and their hopes beyond high school. According to the Zur Institute, teen internet and video game addictions, violence in the media, online bullying, and violence in the home top the charts as some of the major influencers of teen behavior. On the Zur website, there's a section titled " What You Can Do." We find language that mirrors the words and phrases that lead to the most effective reading conferences, like "learn what [it] means to your children by talking with them about it," and "be genuinely curious about what draws them to [whatever it is]," and "discuss balance," and "keep the conversation active."

We hear so much talk in education circles about engagement. Engagement comes as a result of relationships. When we talk to our students about their lives and the things that matter to them, and we help them see that somewhere in some book a character has experienced similar situations, conflicts, and heartaches, we show our students that literature is a living breathing source of hope. This Psychology Today post explains it clearly: "Books are friends we can choose without restriction," believed John Ruskin, an English art critic of the 19 Century who influenced Marcel Proust "who developed the idea of a novel that was not just a friend, but a friend who enables us to become intimate both with other minds and with our own." Proust called readers of his own work "a sort of magnifying glass ... by which I could give them the means to read within themselves."

My students and I talk about windows and mirrors. This is why we read literature: to learn what it means to be human. How do you see yourself in the characters, conflicts, situations, and how do you see out into a world that is very different from your own? The more we grow in empathy, the better relationship we'll have with our friends, our families and all other people we associate with - at least the idealist in me will cling to that hope as I continue to talk to students about books and reading.

Try questions like:

What character reminds you of yourself or someone you know?

What part of the story is the most similar/different to your life?

Why do you think the author makes that happen in the book?

What does he want us to learn about life?

How does this story/character/conflict/event make you think about life differently?

The Learning. There are times when I've done a mini-lesson, I feel like I've talked to myself. I see little application of a skill I know I've taught. Sometimes students completely miss the point of the lesson. However, when I take the time to talk to each student individually, and reinforce the skill in a quick chat, the application of that skill some how seeps into their brains much deeper. And you know those students who are super apprehensive - the ones who have to ask "Is this right?" and show us a teeny bit of work before they will really produce any work? Holding a regular reading conference has solved this problem.

Students know they will get a chance to talk with me about their progress, and they are more willing to take risks than when we talk infrequently. Time for reading conferences, and conferences timed to meet the needs of each one of our learners solves many at-risk behaviors and promotes deeper learning.

Try questions like:

Tell me about _____ that we learned in class today. How does that relate to your book/character?

Remember when we learned _____, tell me how/where you see that in your book.

Think about when we practiced ___, where does the author do that in your book?

You've improved with ___, how could you use that skill for _______?

The Literacy. Sometimes I think we forget that the purpose of our instruction must be to develop the literate lives of our students. We must provide opportunities for our students to grow into confident and competent readers and writers in order to handle the rigor and complexity of post high school education and beyond. We must remember to focus on literacy not on the literature - just like we must focus on the reader not just on the reading. We must validate our readers, ask questions that spark confidence, avoid questions that demean or make the student defensive, and at the same time challenge our readers into more complex texts. We can learn if a child has read a book, or the assigned pages, with a few quick questions. Then we must turn the conversations to the why, the what, and the how that will get students to choose to take a step up the ladder of complexity.

When students know that we care more about them as the person than we care about what or how much they have read, they will trust us. And it's trust between the adolescent and the adult that creates the most movement as a reader, a writer, a student, a young person emerging into adulthood. Students will read the rich literature we bless because they know we are leading them into literature that will in turn bless their lives.

Try questions like:

On a scale of 1 to 10 how complex is this book for you? Why?

What do you do when the reading gets difficult?

Of all the books you've read this year, which was the most challenging? Why?

How's it going finding vocabulary for your personal dictionary?

Tell me how you are keeping track of the parallel storyline?

The Reward. We can experience powerful rewards as we meet with our students in regular reading conferences. (I wrote about one here.) Every year, after students get to know me a bit, they tell me things like: "We were scared of you at first. You seemed so strict," and "You intimidated me, and I was afraid to talk to you." I get how students see me. I'm tall for one thing. For another, I get right to the point and state the learning that will happen in my classroom. Structure and routine are important for the work we do here, and I explain what that looks like within the first twenty minutes of day one. We work bell to bell with very little down time. I get that many students are not used to such habits, especially in our 85 minute classes.

My students experience breakthroughs regularly. It's during our reading conferences that they tell me my instruction works. "Miss, I only read two books in all of 10th grade. I was so behind. This year I've read SO many. I can't count. You've helped me so much. I wish I could go back in time and read this much in 10th grade," one girl tells me. Another says, "I never thought I would like to read. Now, look at me," as she shows me the copy of Anna Karenina she bought over the weekend. (We'd done a mini-lesson on beautiful sentences, and I talked about the books our mentor sentences came from - not really expecting anyone would want to read that one. Oh, they can surprise us!)

I ask students about their confidence levels in our little chats, and they tell me they know they have grown as a readers. This is the best kind of reward.

Try questions like:

How has your confidence grown as you've read this year?

What do you think is the one thing we've done in class that's helped you improve so much as a reader?

How will the habits you've created in class help you in the reading you'll have to do in college?

Why do you think you've grown so much as a reader the past few weeks?

What's different for you now in the way you learn than how you learned before?

Describe for me the characteristics you have that make you a reader.

What kinds of questions work for you in your reading conferences?
©Amy Rasmussen, 2011 - 2015

Tagged: AP English, Conferring, reading conferences

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5 Reasons Why Reading Conferences Matter - Especially in High School English

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When students know that we care more about them as the person than we care about what or how much they have read, they will trust us. And it's trust between the adolescent and the adult that creates the most movement as a reader, a writer, a student, a young person emerging into adulthood.

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Confer - A notetaking app for classroom teachers

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Confer is an app for classroom teachers that makes it easier to collect and use student data.

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Peer Review and Feedback... Or How I Learned All the Things I Had Been Told Were True

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The goal of this page is to keep track of our visualizations of the effect size list based on the Visible Learning research. John Hattie constantly updates his list. He has first published 138 effects in Hattie (2009) "Visible Learning", then 150 effects in Hattie (2011) "Visible Learning for Teachers", and most recently a list of 195 effects in Hattie (2015) "The Applicability of Visible Learning to Higher Education". His research is now based on nearly 1200 meta-analyses - up from the 800 in Visible Learning (2009). According to Hattie the story underlying the data has hardly changed over time even though some effect sizes were updated and we have some new entries to the list.

Below you can find a backup of our first visualization of (only) 138 influences and effect sizes related to student achievement. This is the original image that has been shared widely over the internet and social networks. Click here to see an updated versions of the Hattie ranking.

Hattie Ranking of Effect Sizes

Diagram by Sebastian Waack, founder of Edkimo.
Follow me on Twitter. Always happy to talk!

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Hattie Ranking: Backup of 138 effects related to student achievement - VISIBLE LEARNING

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The goal of this page is to keep track of our visualizations of the effect size list based on the Visible Learning research. John Hattie constantly updates his list. He has first published 138 effects in Hattie (2009) "Visible Learning", then 150 effects in Hattie...Read more ›

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What can the student do? What can't the student do? How does other student work compare? How can the student do better?

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General teaching strategies above .4 have positive effects, strategies below .4 have no/negative effects.

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"I keep returning to this idea that parents should not have to come to conferences to know how their student is doing in my class. Nor should they need an extensive one-on-one discussion and analysis of their student’s writing samples to know who their students are as writers: their strengths, their weaknesses, their unique and defining characteristics and identities."

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Feed UP/ Feed Back/ Feed Forward