Giving and Receiving Feedback

Video Transcription

Hi. My name is Ashley, and today's lesson is titled Giving and Receiving Feedback. In today's lesson, we'll look at the role of feedback in instructional coaching. We'll also identify the best practices for giving and receiving feedback. Lastly, we'll apply all of those best practices and tips to a scenario using feedback appropriately in the coaching relationship.

What is the role of feedback in instructional coaching? The main task of instructional coaches is to provide feedback to teachers. It's a challenging task, as you may know.

Feedback can be difficult for others to hear. We can be very sensitive when it comes to hearing feedback about how we interact with students. However, feedback should occur frequently and be very effective in order for teachers to improve their teaching practices and reach their professional goals.

What are the best practices for giving feedback? Giving feedback can be a difficult task. Keep these best practices in mind to provide effective feedback.

First, establish trust with the teacher. Then adjust your feedback based on the teacher's personality and on the level of trust that has been established. Before giving feedback, ask permission to ensure your suggestions are wanted.

The nature of your feedback should be specific. Provide examples whenever possible. The feedback should be student-centered, making the main goal improving learning for students.

When giving feedback, you should limit negative comments. Use the Oreo technique by surrounding negative feedback with positive feedback. In this way, you will begin and end the conversation on a good note.

Feedback should be timely. Give feedback as close to the observation as possible so the events that occurred will still be fresh for the teacher as well as yourself. It will be very difficult to recall something that has happened two weeks ago.

Lastly, provide opportunities for reflection by asking the teacher to think about the feedback you've given. Ask guiding questions that encourage reflection. Pay attention to how the teacher responds. Coaches should listen to what the teacher says and how they say it, whether they are defensive or relieved or worried about the changes that need to be made. An effective coach should be ready to respond to their emotional concerns and help the teacher through the reflective process.

What are the best practices for receiving feedback? Receiving feedback can be just as difficult as giving it, but it's needed for growth to take place. Here are some best practices for accepting or receiving feedback.

If you don't understand the feedback given to you, ask for clarification. Be honest with yourself and mindful of your weaknesses. Have conversations and dialogue about the feedback that you are receiving.

Be professional and accept constructive criticism. Remember, just as hard as it is for you to receive feedback, it's also hard for the evaluator to give the feedback. Do not involve emotion in your response. Lastly, use your feedback as soon as possible and apply it so that you may begin seeing improvements.

Let's look at two examples of a coaching relationship and view how feedback is involved. In the first scenario, Mr. John is coaching Ms. Thomas. Mr. John observed Ms. Thomas a month ago, and he is now giving her feedback for the first time. He says students were way too loud and talkative.

Here in the other scenario, Ms. Tyler is coaching Mr. Butler, and coincidentally, he is having the same issue as Ms. Thomas in the first scenario. Ms. Tyler observed Mr. Butler in action the day before, and now they're sitting down so that Ms. Tyler can provide him with feedback.

Here's what Ms. Tyler has to say. Mr. Butler, I really enjoy your lesson on geometrical shapes. Students seemed very engaged and active during your activity. But one thing I noticed is that the students were very loud, and it was distracting other students who are really trying to concentrate. Maybe you can create a hand signal for your students so they will know when they're getting too loud and need to quiet down.

Now let's look back at the first scenario. After receiving the feedback from Mr. John, Ms. Thomas is enraged and can't believe that Mr. John is being so harsh. She argues with Mr. John, saying the kids were not loud. They were just excited about the activity.

In the second example, the teacher, Mr. Butler, gracefully accepts the constructive criticism. He asks the coach if she has other suggestions that can be used to quiet down the class. So it's clear to see, the second example shows how feedback is given in a timely manner. It's specific, and it does not include too much negative feedback.

Ms. Tyler uses the Oreo technique when providing this feedback. The teacher accepts the feedback gracefully and ask questions to clarify and to receive more suggestions. If feedback is carried out in the way that it is in the second example, it is more likely to result in greater growth for the teacher.

Let's recap what we have discussed in today's lesson. Providing feedback is one of the main tasks of a coach. Coaches should provide effective feedback for teachers.

When giving feedback, first establish trust and adjust your feedback based on the trust that has been established. Be specific and limit negative comments. When receiving feedback, ask for clarification, be honest with yourself, and accept constructive criticism. It's also a best practice to use your feedback as soon as you can to ensure it's being used correctly to make improvements.

Lastly, we looked at two scenarios of how feedback is used in a coaching relationship. Scenario 2 is more likely to result in greater growth of the teacher.

Review the effective ways of giving and receiving feedback. For more information on how to apply what you've learned in this video, please view the Additional Resources section that accompanies this video presentation. The Additional Resources section includes hyperlinks useful for applications of the course material, including a brief description of each resource.