Principal Walder's Monday Memo
For the week of November 12th
Ideas on Making Feedback Meaningful
Through the use of teacher and student surveys, we have been reviewing the concepts of positive school climate, culture and self-efficacy for both teachers and students. One important element of this is the ability for us to provide feedback. As you know, feedback is much more than simply a "good job" or a "50%- REDO" written on a paper for students to see. High-quality feedback provides students the avenue by which to improve. As we have moved away from the idea of traditional percentages or "averaging" two scores and into proficiency-grading for our student learning, feedback and meaningful conversations with students empower students to continue their learning journey.
Below is part of an excerpt from a 2014 Edutopia Article about student feedback. I have selected three items that are most important for our elementary students from this article. Please read this through and answer the question at the end.
1. BE AS SPECIFIC AS POSSIBLE
In a review of the available research titled “The Power of Feedback,” University of Auckland professors Helen Timperley and John Hattie highlights the importance of supplying learners with specific information about what they are doing right or wrong.
For example, feedback like “Great job!” doesn’t tell the learner what he did right, and likewise, a statement such as “Not quite there yet” doesn’t give her any insight into what she did wrong and how she can do better the next time around.
Instead, researchers suggest taking the time to provide learners with information on what exactly they did well, and what may still need improvement. They also note that it can be helpful to tell the learner what he is doing differently than before.
Has a student’s performance changed or improved since the last time you assessed her? Let her know about it, even if she still has a long way to go.
2. THE SOONER THE BETTER
Numerous studies indicate that feedback is most effective when it is given immediately, rather than a few days, weeks, or months down the line.
In one study that looked at delayed versus immediate feedback, the researchers found that participants who were given immediate feedback showed a significantly larger increase in performance than those who received delayed feedback.
Another research project, from the University of Minnesota, showed that students who received lots of immediate feedback were better able to comprehend the material they had just read.
Of course, it’s not always possible to provide students with feedback right on the spot but sooner is definitely better than later.
3. ADDRESS THE LEARNER’S ADVANCEMENT TOWARD A GOAL
Timperley and Hattie note that effective feedback is most often oriented around a specific achievement that students are (or should be) working toward. When giving feedback, it should be clear to students how the information they are receiving will help them progress toward their final goal.
Email Dr. Walder with answers to the following two questions:
- By what methods are you able to give students the most meaningful feedback at your grade level? (For Gen Ed Teachers: Please include all four core subjects. SPED: Please denote service areas.)
- What does high-quality feedback to students at your grade level (or content area) look like?
PLC Topic for the Week
- No structured PLC this week.
- Email individually Dr. Walder with the answers to the two questions above.
Dr. Walder's Schedule
Monday:
- 5:30 School Board Meeting on Legislative Issues
- 6:30 School Board Meeting
Tuesday:
- 7:40 TAT (JT) in Meeting Room
- 7:40 Civic Leadership Meeting in Dr. Walder's Office
Wednesday:
- 7:30 IEP
- 8:00 Meeting at DEC
- 3:30 Individual Teacher's Meeting
Thursday:
- No Teacher Meeting
- 8:00 IEP Meeting Off Campus
- Noon Teacher Observation
Friday:
- 8:00- 11:00 Dr. Walder out of office
- 3:00 IEP at Legacy
Awesome Apple Award!
Based on some of your feedback and ideas, we announced a staff recognition chain for all of us at Legacy Elementary! The Awesome Apple Award is a very heavy, crystal-looking apple that each week will be awarded to one of our staff members from the previous-week’s recipient.
The Awesome Apple Award goes to a staff member demonstrating exceeding awesomeness to help our students learn and grow in one or more of the following categories:
1) Enhancing Student Relationships with staff or other students
2) Enhancing Student Achievement
3) Enhancing Students’ Learning Experience
The Awesome Apple Award should be displayed with pride for creating another great learning experience at Legacy for our Titans! Share with your class that one of your teaching peers found fit to recognize you this week… because you are AWESOME!
- For the first Awesome Apple Award, I select our Legacy PE Teacher, Mr. Brent Johnson. Mr. Johnson enhances student relationships by learning every child’s name in our entire school building. When students walk into PE, he calls them by name and when they came to the Book Fair this week, he did the same.
- Research strongly suggests that students that feel welcome, safe, and loved will do better academically in school. When Mr. Johnson uses all student names, he enhances the students’ learning experience, too!
Within 5 school days, Mr. Johnson will hit “reply all” to the email I sent last Friday, provide an explanation for WHY the next staff member is deserving of the Awesome Apple Award. During planning times, Mr. Johnson may be coming into your classrooms and walking through to see what you are teaching over the next week. When he notices all of the amazing learning experiences you are all creating for our Titans, he will take note of how it enhances student relationships, enhances student achievement, and/ or enhances the students’ learning experience.
By at least Monday, November 18th, it is Mr. Johnson’s job to “reply all” and select ONE RECIPIENT to transfer the Awesome Apple Award to for the next week. Please continue to hit “reply all” each week to create one, very long email celebrating each other and all the great work our team does for our Titans!
If you have any questions about the Awesome Apple Award, please let me know. Mr. Johnson- Please stop down on Tuesday to pick up the Awesome Apple!
Contact Dr. Walder
Email: Samantha.Walder@k12.sd.us
Website: https://www.teaschools.k12.sd.us/
Location: Tea, SD, USA
Phone: 6058817381
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeaAreaLegacy/
Twitter: @swalder7