Among all the High-Leverage Practices, the type and manner of feedback I provide to my students is critical to the success of my students both in their learning and in the behaviors they demonstrate during the learning process.

 I try to set students up for success with explicit directions. Instead of saying, “Get out your materials,” I say “Get out your reading book, your recording notebook, and a pencil.” When students comply, be specific in your language acknowledging compliance. Instead of a generic “Good job”, be specific with “Good job getting your materials out and being ready to learn.” When students err, again be specific with corrective feedback. Instead of “No, that is the wrong book”, be specific and kind with “Double check your materials and be sure you have your reading book, your recording notebook, and a pencil.” If the error persists, be more specific and direct the student to swap their math book for their reading book. Consider there may be a disability (color blind, non-reader, dyslexic) or social factor (messy desk, distractions, fatigue) that keeps the student from pulling the correct materials.

When I was in the classroom full time, I frequently underestimated the power of specific, positive, constructive feedback. Very often my challenging students were accustomed to only hearing criticisms and reprimands. Positive feedback let them know they were noticed when they made positive choices as well as when they made challenging choices. High frequency positive acknowledgement and reinforcement are critical for any effort to increase the display of a given target replacement or alternative behavior. It was also important to deliver my feedback in a calm, rational, matter-of-fact tone, especially when attempting to correct undesired behavior or academic errors.

When students are frequently yelled at, they stop listening, acknowledging, and responding to loud, angry, demanding voices. Think about how Charlie Brown’s teacher’s voice was portrayed in the animated specials. There is an amazing power in a quiet, direct, specific, non-confrontational tone. I often had my greatest impact when I was the quietest voice in the room rather than the loudest. However, there were times that I found myself at a loss for words to respond to a situation. When I just wanted to yell, “Really?!? What in the world?”, I developed a quizzical facial expression and palms-up hand gesture to substitute for any kind of verbal response from me. It replaced the outburst the student was expecting and we moved on with the task at hand. There are times when non-verbal feedback is at least, if not more effective, than a verbal response.

 I have heard teachers use sarcasm in the classroom. Unless you are teaching sarcasm as a literary device or a rhetorical device, it has no place in a classroom. Young students typically do not understand it. Older students view it as demeaning. As a result, it does not put students in the positive emotional state needed to foster the learning that you hope will happen during the lesson.

I always want my students to recognize I am a partner in their learning. In framing my feedback in a positive, constructive manner, I am trying to foster a respectful give-and-take that I view as necessary for learning to happen. I always try to choose my words carefully. No, I am not always successful. …but it doesn’t keep me from trying to do better.

As you look toward possibly re-framing some of the feedback you provide to your students, consider the following: