1. Feedback For All
MARE Conference 2017

2. improved student learning is to ensure more good teaching
The key to
improved student learning
is to ensure more good teaching
in more classrooms
more of the time.
DuFour and Mattos, 2013
According to Hattie, providing formative evaluation has an effect size of .90. This includes providing teachers, principals, and others with effective and high quality feedback in a formative environment. During thissession we will explore templates and process to use for providing high quality feedback.

3. How much mediocre and poor teaching in your school?
A lot
Quite a bit
Here and there
Very little
None
Not sure

4. Nothing undermines the motivation of hard-working teachers more than
poor performance in other teachers
being ignored over long periods of time.
Not only do poor-performing teachers
negatively affect the students in their classes,
but they also have a spillover effect by
poisoning the overall climate of the school.
Michael Fullan, 2003

5. Feedback is the breakfast of champions!
Ken Blanchard

6. “what gets measured gets done”
Replace with “what gets feedback gets done better.”

8. Goals and Actions Goals Actions to Achieve Goals
Quality feedback will become the driving force behind a cycle of continuous improvement.
If needed offer suggestions. Action after feedback is key to growth.
Follow up with teachers to ensure feedback is being implemented.
Quality feedback is being modeled and instructional leaders are practicing it.
Share feedback given by other instructional leaders on observations, assessments, and unit plans.
Role-play giving feedback.
Quality feedback is seen as non-evaluative.
Frame the feedback as a formative process.
Focus on student learning and not teacher performance.
Maintain objective, nonjudgmental, descriptive language.

9. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK
Timely
Consistent
Frequent
Clearly identified
Descriptive, not evaluative

10. In the absence of focused feedback, efficient learning is impossible and improvement only minimal, even for highly motivated subjects. Hence mere repetition of an activity will not automatically lead to improvement.”
(Ericsson et al, 1993) 25

11. Expert coaches uniformly avoid overloading performers with too much technical information. They tell performers one important thing they notice that, if changed, will likely yield immediate and noticeable improvement.
Grant Wiggins 2012

12. Everyone needs feedback that is…
In time
For them and their teams
For where they are in the learning process
What they need to move forward and fill in the gap
JUST

13. Triggers
Triggers are obstacles not because they are unreasonable but because they keep us from engaging skillfully in conversation.

14. Three Feedback Triggers
Truth Triggers
Are set off by the substance of the feedback itself
Somehow it’s off, unhelpful , or simply untrue
Response: Will feel indignant, wrong, and exasperated

15. Three Feedback Triggers
Relationship Triggers
Tripped by the particular person giving the feedback
Feedback is received based on what is believed about the giver
Or, how the receiver feels they are being treated by the giver.
Response: They have no credibility…..after all I have done for you….are they stupid?....

16. Three Feedback Triggers
Identify Triggers
Something about the feedback has caused our identity to come undone.
May feel threatened, overwhelmed, ashamed, or off balance.
Past may look damning and the future bleak
Response: Trying to survive.

17. Types of Feedback Type of Feedback Giver’s Purpose Appreciation
To see, acknowledge, connect, motivate, thank
Evaluation
To rate or rank against a set of standards, to align expectations, to inform decision making
Coaching
To help receiver expand knowledge, sharpen skill, improve capacity

18. Task 2. Quality Feedback from Descriptive Notes Practice Activity: Using Descriptive Language
Evaluative
Teacher asked a good question
Students did not get enough wait time
Worksheet was confusing for the students
The teachers didn’t learn from the math procedure during the faculty meeting.
The principals did understand the directive telling them to discuss student achievement scores with teachers.
Descriptive Option
Ask participants to go to Task 2 sheet to try to write descriptive statements for the evaluative statements. Ask them to complete their work on the sheet provided. If time is short, ask them to work in pairs. When finished take some responses from the participants, then show them the next slide.
Some possible descriptive options are: Teacher asked an open ended question that required evidence from the text.
Students had to ask for additional directions on the worksheet three times.
Students summarized the story with accurate facts and demonstrated the effort in learning.
English Learners did not respond to any questions and did not offer any thinking about the issues associated with the conversation.
LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 University of Pittsburgh

19. Practice Activity: Using Descriptive Language
Evaluative
Teacher asked a good question
Students did not get enough wait time
Worksheet was confusing for the students
The teachers didn’t learn from the math procedure during the faculty meeting.
The principals did not understand how to discuss student achievement scores with teachers.
Descriptive Option
Why do you think three out of the four students cited evidence from the text?
The students did not respond for the five seconds; teacher gave the answer two times.
Six students asked for additional direction to complete the worksheet.
Ten of the 15 teachers did not implement the math procedure in their classrooms.
Four of the five principals did not discuss student achievement scores with their teachers.
This is not the only way to turn these evaluative statements into descriptive ones, but it does provide an example for participants. Ask them to look at the slide and say why the statements on the right are descriptive. If your time is short, this is a good place to stop and continue with slide 12 for the next session.
LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 University of Pittsburgh

21. Stems to Prompt Reflection
What’s another way you might….?
What would it look like if…?
What do you think would happen if…?
What sort of impact do you think…?
How did you decide…?
What criteria do you use to…?
What might you see happening in your classroom if…?

22. Tips Avoid accusatory language
Use plural forms (Instead of why did you do x?, ask what might be some reasons you did x?)
Shift the focus to the students
Maintain eye contact, nod
Consider seating arrangement
Don’t read from a script

23. How Can We Help? Leadership Team Coaching Principal Coaching
Workshops on Feedback

24. Amy Youngblood
Tanya Vest