The Importance of Positive Feedback

Feedback, I suppose that has been the bane of my existence as a teacher. I don't recall how many different ways I have explored to try to make my feedback as meaningful as possible to both my students and their parents. It all changed a couple of years ago when I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Project Zero at Harvard University. At the conference I was asked my reasons for attending and the one I mentioned was feedback. During one of the sessions during the week, I listed to a speaker tell us about a "ladder of feedback". It was really quite simple and made sense to me and also seemed to fit the positive psychology initiative at my school. I have now been using this with my students and been most pleased with their response.

A modified version of the ladder of feedback

Simply put, the method centres around four basic steps - I have paraphrased in my explanation below.

1. Clarify
2. Value 
3. Offer concerns
4. Suggest

Now when you read it like this it sounds oh so simple. But really it involves a change in the way of thinking. I found that this took more time than the traditional approach to feedback, but I became aware that my students were actually reading and thinking about it. It is even

As proposed in the positive psychology mantra, we all have character strengths that we use, although some are used more and with greater skill than others. So the ladder of feedback looks for the positives or strengths before offering constructive improvement strategies. Everyone does something well and deserves praise and being valued. This is the central theme. Clarifying offers the opportunity to begin to communicate. But it is imperative to use terms that are as non-judgemental as possible. Posing a question as "I wonder .... starts the conversation off in a positive way. If we follow that with praise (or what we value in their work, action, etc.), we set the tone for meaningful dialogue. Both parties in the conversation are now talking and listening! Offering concerns in a positive way will now be more easily accepted and hopefully adopted by your child. The final step is to make some positive suggestions.

I bring this up because I feel that it could also offer a change in the tenor of conversations in the home as well. It is far too easy (as a teacher or a parent) to slip into the "elevator of feedback" and go straight to the top levels and denigrating the efforts of our students/children.

I think that the key to the whole process is effective communication. Far too often we are all guilty of focussing and concentrating on the results rather than the process. It tend to force our focus on the negatives and forgetting the positives that are there. It is explained by our busy lives but the damage that is done to the self image and resilience of your child can lead to other problems.

It makes me wonder if:

• I use the elevator of feedback more than I should?
• I could ensure that I value (the effort) as much as the result?
• I could take the time to find the positives and praise the strengths?