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Encourage Students to Ask for Feedback

Tags

Social-Emotional Learning ^Extra-curricular/At-Home MS/HS/College Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking

Encourage Students to Ask for Feedback

If your student is motivated to grow and improve

How To Apply It!

  1. The best way to improve is to start with an understanding of what you can do better and why. Guessing or assuming might not get you the results you hope for.
  2. Teachers usually love when students ask for feedback, provided it is not targeted at getting a better grade. Ask for feedback in a way that shows you truly want to learn and improve.
  3. Schedule a time for feedback, rather than having an impromptu meeting. This ensures you and your teacher can have a thoughtful conversation, uninterrupted.
  4. Be prepared for a critique. Even when we really want feedback, it can sting. Try to listen and make sure you understand the feedback. Try to avoid sounding defensive, which can be hard for everyone.
  5. If your teacher does not give you written feedback, write down what your teacher says either during the conversation or after your meeting. It is easy to forget specifics and it is likely that the details will be very important.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Constructive feedback is essential for improvement at every level. Not all teachers provide the specific feedback that students need to understand how to get better, but most every teacher will provide thoughtful feedback when students show a genuine interest in learning and improving. The importance of timely and specific feedback is well-documented (Corbett and Anderson, 2001).