Providing Feedback as a Critical Tool for Students

     While reading the article, 8 Strategies Robert Marzano and John Hattie Agree On, written by Shaun Killian in June of 2015, I came across two "strategies" that made the most sense to me. The first strategy is obviously to provide feedback to the students on their work. They mention that within the feed back, you have to point out what the students are doing correctly and incorrectly. You have to leave notes on how to fix or improve their work AND provide the time to allow them to do so. This may be difficult depending on the assignment and the time allotted for them to have a rewrite. (32+ students per class, 5 classes, each writing a 5 page paper... YIKES!) So timely feedback might be a drawback, however, if you make it thorough, this should cut back on the amount of rewrites needed. You could also teach the students how to use a rubric or provide basic levels of peer editing that they can do in groups. (MLA formatting requirements, spelling errors, citation issues).

     The second interesting point was allowing students to practice what they have learned. This sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many teachers can just keep on rolling through the pacing guide. They also brought up the concept of rehearsal and review. Rehearsal is when you practice what you have been taught over and over until you "learn it", and review is when you go back over something you have previously been taught or "learned". However, the warning sign that made the most sense to me was 'practice without feedback can be dangerous'. This is when the coach in me clicked.

I teach my players the basic fundamentals of the game; forehands, backhands, tag plays, throw downs, everything. After teaching them, I have to monitor them and provide them feedback as to have they can do it better and more effectively. So, if I were to model it myself and make them do it on their own, they are more than likely NOT doing it correctly. I never thought about this for the classroom until now. (I know, I know. Buzz words like Proximity monitoring....) But I never though of how I could apply it or connect it to my teaching.