Why feedback is important

Raising standards involves focusing beyond what children learn to how they learn and how teachers intervene in this process (Carol McGuinness 2000). Intervention is often through marking and verbal feedback to learners. 
Feedback is crucial in helping pupils to think about their learning and make progress in a self-evaluative constructive way.

1.The purposes of feedback, both verbal and written, must be clear to all those involved- teachers, pupils, and parents. These purposes should be reflected consistently in any school policies or guidance dealing with learning and teaching.

2. The provision of feedback is a shared, two-way activity. It should aim to encourage dialogue and develop the self-assessment skills of learners.

3. Feedback must be focused. Expectations should be shared with learners as learning intentions, objectives or standards to be aspired to. Often these will be linked to National Curriculum criteria, and may require ‘translation’. These expectations should be reflected in the feedback teachers give.

4. To be effective, feedback should comprise 3 elements: exactly what the learner has done well, what they have been less successful in doing and a brief indication of how improvement can be made.

5. It is essential to be specific about what is good or not so good when providing feedback. Statements such as ‘Well done’, ‘See to your punctuation’ are vague and unhelpful.

6. There is no single ‘right’ way of providing feedback – the strategy used should be appropriate for the purpose and context of the work. Teachers need to develop a ‘tool kit’ of approaches to giving feedback which they can draw upon within a subject context.

7. ‘It might look like this’ - the use of demonstrations and modelling of outcomes is an important part of providing feedback. Sharing exemplar material before and after work is done is very helpful.

8. Marking must convey that a pupil's effort is valued – ‘defacing’ it by writing all over the work is unacceptable. Alternatives include the use of post-its, wrap-arounds, comments in the margin, codes, underlining and / or encircling a minimum of items.

9. Feedback is less effective if it always includes marks or grades. Periodic use of levels can be helpful if a summative judgement is required – for example on a specific piece of work or once or twice a term to indicate progress. If marks, grades or levels are used their meaning should be clear to all involved.

10. It is essential to give learners time to absorb and act upon or consolidate feedback comments. A response to feedback should be expected as long as comments are brief, clearly written and easy for the learner to understand.

11. Acting upon feedback comments needs to have an incentive – pupils need to know how they benefit by responding - what’s in it for me?

12. The difference between action points identified in feedback on a current piece of work and longer-term target setting needs clarification for some teachers, pupils and parents.

13. Good quality feedback contributes positively to behaviour management. Evidence strongly suggests that it leads to increased motivation and engagement and is worth the time and effort involved.

14. The outcomes of written and verbal feedback must be used by teachers to plan the next steps of learning and pitch work appropriately for each pupil.

15. For feedback to have a significant and sustained effect there needs to be an achievement culture in the school or department. This should provide clear direction and appropriate challenge for individuals. This culture should actively develop good relationships and promote self-esteem amongst pupils and teachers alike.

If improvement in work is to take place, the learner must first know the purpose of the task, then how far this has been achieved, and finally be given help in knowing how to move closer towards the desired goal or in 'closing the gap' (Sadler 1989). It is essential that learners know what the desired goal is.

RSA Ken Robinson- Changing Education Paradigms

This RSA Animate was adapted from a talk given at the RSA by Sir Ken Robinson, world-renowned education and creativity expert and recipient of the RSA's Benjamin Franklin award.

20 Really useful ways to improve professional learning

20 Really useful ways to improve professional learning

‘The teachers who get "burned out" are not the ones who are constantly learning, which can be exhilarating, but those who feel they must stay in control and ahead of the students at all times.'

Frank Smith 

Below is a collection of 20 really useful suggestions for improving professional learning in schools today.

1. Keep a professional learning journal. This is for your eyes only and will be invaluable in supporting you through your career-long professional learning. Focus on being reflective and reflexive. Our little black teaching and learning books are a great way to do this. I'm on my third and regularly look back through ideas, scribbles and reflections.

2. Join Twitter. There is so much high-quality discussion about education on Twitter! This is a great source of free CPD, advice, information, guidance and virtual support. Hashtags (#) are an effective way of focusing your time on Twitter. For example, do a search for #ukedchat, #edchat and #education and you are likely to see current, relevant discussion 

3. Consider blogging - or at least following blogs by educators. There are many bloggers out there, so it's worth spending some time searching for one with a philosophy that suits you. Blogging is a good way of developing skills of reflection - and possibly of helping others too. 

That's the purpose of Failsworth Learning Zone!

4. Much professional learning is actually hybrid learning: a blend of taught sessions and self-directed learning. The internet is a rich source of high-quality professional learning opportunities that you can access at your own pace, in your own time. For starters, take a look at these ‘learning for free' sites: YoungMinds in Schools;Times Educational Supplement; Open Yale Courses; How Stuff Works; TED Talks; and Open Learn from the Open University. 

5. Use peer coaching. We have a fantastic co-coaching system set up at Failsworth School. We can learn much from our peers and, invariably, helping others is also a great way to learn. Great peer coaching involves all of the following at least some of the time: instructing; observing; analysing; feeding back; advising; facilitating; motivating; and supporting. 

6. Develop your critical thinking skills... constantly! Being able to critically appraise research and other learning opportunities, as well as your work with pupils, will greatly enhance your professional learning. Critical thinking supports all other aspects of life too, as it helps us to make better choices and can help to facilitate an enhanced sense of wellbeing. 

7. Focus on your creativity and your creative insights. This involves making sure that you feel safe to take risks with your professional learning and to get things wrong if need be. If you feel judged or penalised for taking risks, creativity is necessarily stifled. Look for answers - second right answers, third right answers and beyond! Allow time for your slow-thinking, dreamy, playful mind to present you with new ideas. 

8. Aim to personalise your professional learning. This will mean taking a broad look at all the professional learning you do, and identifying what helps you to contextualise your learning, and what helps you to move towards independence in professional learning. 

9. Take care of your wellbeing and work-life balance. Without that, you won't be the best you can be as an educator. Discuss the inherent tensions between your development needs and the needs of the school, and make sure that your goals for professional learning are well paced. 

10. Boost your effectiveness as a professional learner, by working collaboratively with colleagues. Work on building mutually acceptable shared goals and values and a team mentality. Teaching and Learning Communities are a great way in which to develop this.

11. There is so much great professional learning to be derived from colleagues, but fears of public speaking can impact on staff willingness to present to others. On one level this is surprising - we might expect school staff to be able to do this with ease - but there is a big difference between speaking to pupils and speaking to groups of colleagues. Brushing up on public speaking skills, so that you can get your points across most effectively, will enhance professional learning all round. 

12. Harness your ambitions. What do you really want to go for? Identify clear goals and a path to follow in order to achieve them. Most importantly, identify who can help you to get there. Your ambitions should ideally help to shape the pattern of professional learning that you undertake. 

13. Plan strategically. Do your own research about what professional learning you might like to access and when. Build a support network - who can help you to achieve your goals and improve your practice? Think of colleagues, other professionals in your locality, professionals in national networks and international contacts. 

14. Contextualise your professional learning. The training opportunities that you access are likely to be more generic than specific to your particular situation and needs, so your ability to contextualise learning is all-important. This also helps to nurture the mindset that something can be learned from every situation at work. 

15. Do an audit of the professional learning opportunities available to you. This isn't just about paid-for courses and conferences, but also about any professional learning that you can access at school or outside. Identify breadth and depth, and draw on this scope in your own learning. 

16. Remember your calling. Why did you enter the profession in the first place? What were your original enthusiasms? Can you reconnect with your underlying goals and desires? Can you still identify your motivations for wanting to make a difference in the classroom and in the lives of young people? If you feel different now, what is it about your current experience that has distanced you from those original enthusiasms. 

17. Understand what motivates you. Determine the differences between your intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and use them to further professional learning. Being motivated is likely to inspire others too. This links in with coaching and mentoring skills. 

18. Explore sustainable approaches to professional learning. Being overambitious is likely to lead to disillusionment, but there is much that can be achieved through, for example, discussion groups between school clusters, use of social networks, use of ICT (such as videoconferencing and Skype), and the contextual intelligence in your school. If your plans for professional learning involve big budgets, then you may need to explore more sustainable approaches. 

19. Celebrate and share professional learning. There is little point in learning taking place, if it doesn't get shared. This is how areas of expertise build up, and sharing new learning is an effective way of consolidating it. Celebrating achievement in professional learning is important too, not just for the attainment of recognised qualifications such as Masters degrees. 

20. Evaluate any professional learning you undertake. Remember, though, that great learning is not always evident immediately after undertaking training and development activities. Some will have a slow-burn effect, so evaluations are best done when consolidation time has passed. Also, don't evaluate without contextualising!