Providing Effective Feedback

1. Providing Effective Feedback Coaches & Principals

2. Think-Pair-Share:How do you provide feedback to teachers after an observation? • How do you debrief with teachers? • What strategies have been particularly effective? • What are some challenges you’ve had with providing feedback?

3. The Coaching Cycle Identify Groups to Observe: • 5-Minute Observations • Review of Written Data Follow Up Conduct Observations Provide Feedback / Identify and Apply Remedies

4. Follow-up with Observations and Provide Feedback steps Provide Feedback: 3 Student-Focused “Keepers” Identify Remedies: 1 Student-Focused “Polisher” Apply Remedies: Provide Support (Apply remedies) Desired Student Behavior Teacher behavior that will elicit student behavior Model teaching The Feedback/Follow-up Loop Follow Up ProvideFeedback / Identify and Apply Remedies

5. Methods for Providing Feedback • Written Feedback • Verbal Feedback (immediate) • Verbal Feedback (delayed)

6. General Format for Providing Feedback • Thank you • 3 “Keepers” (Student Focused) • The students ______ because you _______ • 1 “Polisher” (Student Focused) • It’s important that students __________; in order to do that, try ________

7. Providing Feedback: Thank You • What: Thank teacher for opportunity to observe, welcoming you in their classroom, etc. • Why: Ensures teacher feels honored, builds rapport leaving teacher more open to receive and respond to feedback

8. Providing Feedback: 3 Keepers • What: 3 Keepers (Student Focused) • The students ______ because you _______ • Why: • 3:1 ratio is critical to promoting positive and responsive school culture • Increases the likelihood that teachers will sustain effective practices • Builds rapport • Increases likelihood teacher will hear and respond to “polisher”

9. Partner share • Partner A: why are “Thank-yous” and “Keepers” important in providing feedback? • Partner B: • add to partner A’s response and • How have you/do you plan to use “Thank yous” and “Keepers” when providing feedback? • Partner A: add to partner B’s response

10. Providing Feedback: 1 Polisher • What: 1 Polisher (Student Focused) • It’s important that students __________; in order to do that, try ________ • Why: • Limits focus for growth to manageable number of tasks • Provides clear teacher practice to improve instruction • Provides rationale for implementing recommendation • Links rationale to student outcomes (keeps focus on students)

11. Practice • Observe this lesson, selecting one or more of the 9 general features of instruction to provide feedback • Identify your “thank you” statement • Identify 3 keepers on which to provide feedback • Identify 1 polisher

12. Practice • Give feedback to your partner • Partner B – provide feedback to partner A as if partner A was the teacher who had taught the lesson • Partner A – tell partner B what elements of giving effective feedback were incorporated (keepers). Give partner B a polisher for providing more effective feedback

13. Providing Feedback: Special Considerations • When providing feedback in writing: • May limit written feedback to only “Keepers” • Try to provide feedback as immediately as possible • Only provide polishers in writing after they have been discussed verbally • Why: • Immediate feedback reduces anxiety • Writing is a more permanent record of feedback; ensures that the teacher can reflect on a positive coaching interaction

14. Providing Feedback: Special Considerations • When providing feedback Verbally (Immediately): • This option is helpful when doing coach & principal walk-throughs • Check for understanding: ask teacher to repeat back positive feedback before giving growth statement • Make sure to describe the desired behavior and have coach or principal model it (while other person provides whisper coaching) • Why: • Gives an immediate model of effective teaching • Ensures the teacher “hears” positive feedback • Increases the likelihood that the teacher clearly understands how to implement the more effective teaching practice.

15. Providing Feedback: Special Considerations • When providing feedback Verbally (Delayed): • Give feedback as soon after the observation as possible • Check for understanding: ask teacher to repeat back positive feedback before giving growth statement • Make sure to describe the desired behavior and offer to model it • May create a checklist or key features for teacher to observe so they attend to the relevant features of the model • Why: • Still provides a model of effective teaching • Ensures the teacher “hears” positive feedback • Increases the likelihood that the teacher clearly understands how to implement the more effective teaching practice.

16. Providing Feedback: Special Considerations • When providing feedback Verbally (Delayed): • May have teacher first reflect on her “keepers” and “polishers” • Why: • Promotes self reflection • May open the door to coaching without you providing any feedback • Builds rapport and demonstrates respect for the teachers appraisal of his/her own teaching

17. Providing Feedback: Special Considerations • When providing feedback Verbally (Delayed): • Coaches may not provide polisher (must be done by principals if coaches don’t identify polishers) • Why: • Ensures that coach maintains a “helper” role instead of “evaluator”

18. Practice • Observe this lesson, selecting one or more of the 9 general features of instruction to provide feedback • Identify your “thank you” statement • Identify 3 keepers on which to provide feedback • Identify 1 polisher

19. Practice • Give feedback to your partner • Partner A – provide feedback to partner A as if partner A was the teacher who had taught the lesson (may incorporate a “special consideration” like having the teacher debrief first). • Partner B – tell partner A what elements of giving effective feedback were incorporated (keepers). Give partner A a polisher for providing more effective feedback.

20. Providing Feedback: Principal Specifics • What: Expectation • Set instructional target: “I want to see…” • “On my next observation I’ll be looking for…” • Why: • Sets clear expectation that staff will implement best practice • Lets staff know it is important that recommendation is implemented

21. Providing Feedback: Principal Specifics • What: Offer support • You can talk to the coach to help you… or I’d like you to talk with the coach to help you • Why: • Opens door for coaching • Increases support and likelihood teacher will be successful in improving instruction

22. Providing Feedback: Principal Specifics • What: Follow-up • Complete next observation and • Provide keeper and polisher focusing on previously set target • Why: • Increases the likelihood that good instructional practice will be implemented • Provides opportunity to provide positive feedback to teacher for implementation • Increases rapport and positive school climate

23. Your goals for feedback • Write the critical elements for giving effective feedback • Check the items you already do • Circle one item you would like to try or like to do more when providing feedback