As a teacher, can I just say how much I love the advice you give to instructional coaches or administrators in this post? I love that you explain what the bad feedback is, WHY it is bad AND what to do instead.
One of the worst piece of feedback I ever got was my 3rd or 4th year teaching 11th grade U.S. history. The administrator (whose background was not in history) commented, "I would have liked to see something other than students doing a worksheet." As Jennifer Gonzalez observed in her oldie but goodie post, "Frickin' Packets" on Cult of Pedagogy (https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/busysheets/), the term "worksheet" or "packet" can be applied to virtually anything printed on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper.
The "worksheet" in question was a 3 page "packet" that took all the information I had used the year before in a lecture on Colonial America and turned it into work that students did in pairs that involved 1. making inferences and drawing conclusions from two images (paintings), 2. making a comparison between two bar graphs, 3. a brainstorm activity, 4. a chronology activity and 5. an analysis of three primary sources. I still have a copy of that original. I liked it so much that I adapted it for the 7th graders I taught 20 years later.
Your lesson sounds like a thoughtfully designed, inquiry-based experience that guided students' thinking. But because the administrator saw paper-based tasks, they made an assumption rather than asking deeper questions about what students were doing with the material.
This is exactly the kind of feedback gap that leaves teachers frustrated and unsupported. Here some questions that admin/coaches can consider:
- How did students engage with the material?
- What kinds of thinking were they doing?
- How did this lesson build on or connect to prior learning?
And if they’re not subject matter experts, all the more reason to approach with curiosity, not judgment.
Wow, this article was filled with so much practical advice for those of us who work with teachers. I loved how you broke down what coaches should say instead of what is commonly said. Your replacement feedback was so clear and actionable. Most importantly it will positively impact teachers and ultimately students
Hmm - Feedback "Just keep doing what you're doing". 🤔 I know they meant well, I'd been teaching for many years at that point - but I still wanted constructive feedback. Talk about useless - and lazy feedback!
It’s the “build relationships” for me. Like, that’s cute, but a Snickers and a personalized entry greeting is not going to get Samiyah to pass my class, beloved.
While feedback is extremely important, most teachers are so exhausted that they will fight back instead of listening. There is a good approach to solving this issue, and I'm writing about it in my book. You're welcome to be among the first readers!
As a teacher, can I just say how much I love the advice you give to instructional coaches or administrators in this post? I love that you explain what the bad feedback is, WHY it is bad AND what to do instead.
One of the worst piece of feedback I ever got was my 3rd or 4th year teaching 11th grade U.S. history. The administrator (whose background was not in history) commented, "I would have liked to see something other than students doing a worksheet." As Jennifer Gonzalez observed in her oldie but goodie post, "Frickin' Packets" on Cult of Pedagogy (https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/busysheets/), the term "worksheet" or "packet" can be applied to virtually anything printed on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper.
The "worksheet" in question was a 3 page "packet" that took all the information I had used the year before in a lecture on Colonial America and turned it into work that students did in pairs that involved 1. making inferences and drawing conclusions from two images (paintings), 2. making a comparison between two bar graphs, 3. a brainstorm activity, 4. a chronology activity and 5. an analysis of three primary sources. I still have a copy of that original. I liked it so much that I adapted it for the 7th graders I taught 20 years later.
I really appreciate this comment—thank you!
Your lesson sounds like a thoughtfully designed, inquiry-based experience that guided students' thinking. But because the administrator saw paper-based tasks, they made an assumption rather than asking deeper questions about what students were doing with the material.
This is exactly the kind of feedback gap that leaves teachers frustrated and unsupported. Here some questions that admin/coaches can consider:
- How did students engage with the material?
- What kinds of thinking were they doing?
- How did this lesson build on or connect to prior learning?
And if they’re not subject matter experts, all the more reason to approach with curiosity, not judgment.
Wow, this article was filled with so much practical advice for those of us who work with teachers. I loved how you broke down what coaches should say instead of what is commonly said. Your replacement feedback was so clear and actionable. Most importantly it will positively impact teachers and ultimately students
Hmm - Feedback "Just keep doing what you're doing". 🤔 I know they meant well, I'd been teaching for many years at that point - but I still wanted constructive feedback. Talk about useless - and lazy feedback!
That's SO common. It's often an indicator that they don't know instruction.
Yes, and most frustratingly also claiming to be the expert in the room. 🤦🏼♀️
It’s the “build relationships” for me. Like, that’s cute, but a Snickers and a personalized entry greeting is not going to get Samiyah to pass my class, beloved.
While feedback is extremely important, most teachers are so exhausted that they will fight back instead of listening. There is a good approach to solving this issue, and I'm writing about it in my book. You're welcome to be among the first readers!
https://denslon.substack.com/p/1-from-tinder-to-taxiarch-a-night