Rebecca Ashraf, Trust TLA Link (Leeds East Academy)
One of my goals for this Academic year is to engage more in academic research.
I believe this is a crucial aspect of improving our pedagogy and is something that I encourage all teachers and co-professionals to make time for.
This week I have read a new book called The Feedback Pendulum by Michael Chiles and I would say that this is a must-read for all teachers and leaders.
The book is broken down into four engaging chapters:
· Less marking, more feedback.
· Feedback to pupils.
· Feedback to teachers.
· Feedback to parents.
Chapters 1 and 2 provide staff with strategies to reduce the unmanageable workload that marking can create and demonstrates how to use verbal feedback, whole class marking and modelling to feed pupils forward.
The premise is all about not increasing the amount of feedback but improving the effectiveness of feedback.
Modelling in action
For chapter 3, the focus switches onto giving feedback to teachers and this provides some useful strategies for mentors, coaches and leaders regarding delivering effective, impactful feedback following a lesson observation.
There is a keen focus on how to change the culture of CPD in schools in order to engage and motivate staff to continually develop their pedagogy.
This chapter is really useful for teachers who are newer to the profession and considering going down the mentoring route as it provides very clear instructions on how to give focused, non-generic feedback.
Feeding back to teachers in action
The final chapter delves into giving feedback to parents with a key focus on parental engagement.
This chapter is a must-read for newer teachers who may be feeling nervous about communicating with parents.
It provides clear guides and conversation structures, which will be especially useful for providing feedback on pupils’ progress during Parents’ Evenings.
A guide to giving parental feedback
I would strongly recommend that all staff add this book to their reading lists in order to improve their understanding and use of impactful feedback.
Feedback is an essential topic for all teachers and leaders and, when done well, the impact that it has on pupils and staff is major.
This book ignores the fads and provides clear, simple and effective solutions for delivering high-quality feedback.
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