Mike’s Blog
Strategies, Ideas and Insights for Teachers and Leaders
Tag: formative feedback
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Stand on the shoulders of giants with your learners and use this to change how they think about the feedback you give to them
One way we can minimise any perceived threat learners might attach to receiving feedback is by having them assess famous people’s work. This involves them critiquing work created by experts…
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A simple psychological hack that can instantly change how learners perceive your feedback
Some learners struggle to engage positively with feedback. They may see it as an attack and choose to disengage. This can be due to past experiences, self-perceptions, or wider attitudes…
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What is pre-emptive feedback and how can it be a gamechanger in your classroom?
I would wager that in most activities the teacher knows in advance most of the feedback they are likely to give. This is because they are the expert, and they…
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Getting learners to implement your written feedback: demonstrating competence
This is where we give learners opportunities to demonstrate competence to us, or one of their peers, during a lesson. It means planning sessions in which these opportunities take centre…
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How to use the two fundamentals of teaching you rely on every day to improve target implementation in your classroom
Sometimes, learners will really struggle to implement your targets. They may not understand them, may find the process of change difficult, or may find it hard to visualise how their…
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Why creating activities with target implementation in mind can be a gamechanger for your classroom – and your workload
Why not structure your planning so that learners have the chance to implement their targets during the following lesson, and to do so through an appropriate activity? For example, a…
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How a simple sheet of A4 paper can completely change how learners think about implementing the targets you give them
Take an A4 sheet of paper and divide it into three columns. At the top of the first column write ‘Date’. At the top of the second write ‘Target’. And…
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How to use whole-class feedback lists to save time, make your life easier, yet still give meaningful feedback to every learner you teach
Whole-class feedback lists can save you a lot of time while also providing personalised feedback to all the learners in your class. Having marked a set of books, instead of…
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Why planning for implementation is almost guaranteed to increase the impact of your written feedback in any lesson, with any class
Learners need time in which to implement their targets. Without this the targets may disappear into the ether, never to be used in the way you intended. While some conscientious…
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Changing the focus of written feedback for learners by highlighting specific areas
You can use this technique to help learners focus their efforts on a specific aspect of their work. The idea is to maximise the return the learner sees on their…