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Communication has to be one of the most challenging skills to master, but we all want to be an aficionado - a master chef of all things communication.
Part of the reason this skill is so difficult is that there are so many different facets to it. You can really break it down bit by bit, analyzing the speaker’s role in communicating and the listener’s.
For our purpose this week, I want to focus in on the speaker and how they can give concrete, specific feedback.
Have you ever got a, “Good job!” or “Nice work!” and wondered what was so good about it? Why was my work so nice? While in the moment, a pat on the back can feel really good inside, it doesn’t really provide you any guidance on how you can continue to improve and do the things that were so great.
I was listening to a podcast this week, Radical Candor, and in the episode, they were discussing how important it is to provide specific, narrow feedback and avoid “runious empathy.” Essentially, if you’re giving feedback that you would give to a dog (ie. Good job!) you really cease and desist
In this post, I’ll review some old theories and some fresh views on feedback that will ground our learning. Then, I’ll provide some 5 tips on how to actually give concrete, specific feedback.
Old-Time Views & Some Fresh Perspectives on Feedback
Feedback is one of the most powerful tools we have in education—if we use it right! It’s like that secret ingredient in a recipe that brings all the flavors together. My secret ingredient when cooking is generally wine 🍷, but for feedback, that doesn’t work. 😜
Psychologists and education researchers have studied feedback extensively, and the consensus is clear: feedback helps learners grow, develop confidence, and improve their skills.
Essentially, if you’re giving feedback that you would give to a dog (ie. Good job!) you really cease and desist
Going back to the 70s and disco era, Vygotsky (1978) emphasized that learning is a social process, where feedback plays a critical role in helping students move through their Zone of Proximal Development [ZPD] or the sweet spot between what students can do on their own and what they can achieve with a little guidance. When teachers offer feedback, they’re scaffolding the learning process—helping students bridge that gap.
Another old-timer, Bandura (1977), also saw feedback as essential but from a different angle. In his Social Learning Theory, he explained how we learn from observing others and receiving feedback. Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy, or belief in one’s own ability to succeed, is deeply connected to feedback.
When educators offer praise and constructive suggestions, it builds students’ confidence, and confident students are more likely to take risks, persist through challenges, and ultimately achieve more. And isn’t that what we all want?
Fast forward to today, and researchers like Hattie and Timperley (2007) have fine-tuned our understanding of feedback. They argue that feedback needs to answer three critical questions for learners: Where am I going? (goals), How am I doing? (current performance), and What do I do next? (next steps). Effective feedback is specific, timely, and actionable.
Of course, feedback isn’t just cognitive—it’s emotional too. Kluger and DeNisi (1996) found that how feedback is delivered can affect motivation. Positive, constructive feedback can empower students, while overly critical feedback can demoralize them which is why I want my staff to focus on empowering communication.
For our faculty meeting last month and a professional learning session, we examined different elements of empowering communication, specifically, reinforcing language.
Reinforcing language is a way for educators to communicate that they see positive growth and the efforts and accomplishments others are working toward (Responsive Classroom, 2015).
Words should be specific and descriptive while tone should be encouraging and exude joy. This type of strategy works because you are building on strengths and not deficits. We of course need to provide guidance and support for those areas of growth, but we must also provide direct, specific feedback that shows students that they are doing some things really well (Responsive Classroom, 2015).
When educators offer praise and constructive suggestions, it builds students’ confidence, and confident students are more likely to take risks, persist through challenges, and ultimately achieve more. And isn’t that what we all want?
A good metaphor to understand this concept involves a ladder. Reinforcing language is the ladder that a student must climb while the educator’s words are the steps or rungs they stand on as they continue to climb and move in their learning journey 🪜 (Responsive Classroom, 2015).
So, we can see the path of feedback from decades ago to today. And what is the common thread? We must provide specific, concrete, encouraging feedback.
5 Reminders for Concrete, Specific Feedback
We must be thoughtful with the feedback we give. Don’t just be another good jobber. It does nothing to move anyone forward and kind of makes you look like a lazy thinker/observer.
So if you want to begin to change how your giving your feedback, remember these five tips:
Define the action
You can’t have concrete, specific feedback without the specific action. While you observe a teacher or student, name the behavior that is so great and that you want the person to repeat.
When you begin to do this, they will know what they must continue to do. And this will keep them moving up on the ladder of growth and learning.
Be mindful of your tone
When communicating your concrete, specific feedback, make sure you are using a tone that is warm and encouraging. With this said, try not to be overly maudlin or use “baby talk.” This is something to really remember if you work with elementary students as we tend to gravitate to that tone, especially with the little guys.
Focus on actions and not approval
When providing that concrete, specific feedback, try to remove yourself from it. Rather than saying something like, “I love that you went back and edited your writing!” Your feedback should sound more like this, “I noticed you went back and edited your work. I’m sure your readers will appreciate your thoughtfulness.”
Sprinkle in a question
Questions are always an excellent strategy to generate thinking and get individual’s actively involved in the feedback you’re providing. When we ask questions around something we notice, the receiver has an opportunity to explore the why or how behind that behavior.
So if you really want to up your feedback game, try throwing in a question like this, “I noticed you went back and edited your work. Why did you decide to do that?”
Find the good in all
Sometimes, it can be super challenging to provide a piece of positive, forward thinking feedback. But you must find that inkling and latch onto it. For those who struggle, hearing what they are doing well can reinvigorate them and provide hope.
So rather than telling someone, “You need to focus more on your math because you give up so easily.” You can reframe this and exclaim, “I noticed you worked a bit longer on your math today. Was something different today than other days?”
One Last Thought
I’ve been tracking my learning journey on my ability to name concrete, specific behaviors. And you know what, it's hard. I find myself sometimes creeping back to the “Good job.” And the moment that those two words leave my mouth, I immediately follow up, clarifying what is so good.
So whether it is seeing a student open a door for another friend, or watching a teacher provide one-on-one encouragement to a student, I’ve been trying to name what is so great or good.
While giving the sweeping “good job” is easy, it does nothing for the other individual and is just a temporary shot of endorphins.
When we slow down and purposefully think about the praise and feedback that is coming out of our mouths, we can truly make change and build up the individuals around us so that we all continue to learn and grow – moving toward excellence.
References
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112.
Kluger, A. N., & DeNisi, A. (1996). The effects of feedback interventions on performance: A historical review, a meta-analysis, and a preliminary feedback intervention theory. Psychological Bulletin, 119(2), 254-284.
Responsive Classroom. (2024, September 24). How’s your reinforcing language? Responsive Classroom. https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/hows-your-reinforcing-language/
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
Responsive Classroom. (2024, September 24). How’s your reinforcing language? Responsive Classroom. https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/hows-your-reinforcing-language/
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