Induction tutor materials
Training session - providing verbal feedback
Duration: 30 minutes
Session objectives
Learn that:
- 6.5. High quality feedback can be written or verbal; it is likely to be accurate and clear, encourage further effort, and provide specific guidance on how to improve.
Learn how to:
Provide high quality feedback, by:
6h. Focusing on specific actions for pupils and providing time for pupils to respond to feedback.
6n. Using verbal feedback during lessons in place of written feedback after lessons where possible.
How to prepare for the session
Aim to model effective assessment practices throughout.
Session structure:
What is effective feedback (5 minutes)
Ask: "what is effective feedback?"
Answers might include:
- accurate and clear feedback
- provides specific guidance for pupils on how to improve
- focuses on specific actions for pupils
- encourages further effort
- provides time for pupils to respond to feedback
- can be written or verbal
Sharing effective practice in providing verbal feedback (20 minutes)
Explain that this session will focus on verbal feedback.
This is because:
- it's immediate and efficient
- it gives feedback in the moment
- pupils can correct or edit in the moment
Ask, how are you currently using verbal feedback?
Answers might include:
- prompts during independent work
- to start a dialogue with pupils about work
- when showing examples
Ask, how can we ensure verbal feedback is useful?
Answers might include making sure that:
- it's focused on pupil learning
- it's focused on what the pupil can do to improve
- pupils are given time to respond to the feedback
Ask ECTs to take out their lesson plans for an upcoming lesson. They should identify moments when errors or misconceptions might occur.
You could ask if there’s:
- a step that pupils often miss, how can you remind them of this?
- an example you can use to prompt pupil thinking?
Share this example from a biology lesson.
Ms Smith is teaching about cells. In her planning she identifies that pupils often get confused over the cell wall and the cell membrane. This is a common misconception.
Ask ECTs to choose one misconception and script verbal feedback that could be given at this moment to support pupil progress.
Which action should Ms Smith ask pupils to take?
- correct their work
- redraft their work
- practise further
Here’s an example script showing a good approach:
I’m just going to stop you all there for a moment. Before you carry on I want to quickly go over an error I am seeing in a few people’s work. The cell wall and cell membrane are totally different things. Let’s draw a diagram and recap, all eyes on the board please.
The cell wall is the protective, semi-permeable outer layer of the cell.
The cell membrane is actually this layer here (draws), a double layer of lipids and proteins that protects the contents of the cell.
Remember, wall is always on the outside, membrane on the inside.
Can you all go back and correct your work now?
Planning for action (5 minutes)
Ask:
- "how can you be sure you’re providing effective feedback?"
- "what's one thing you will take forward from the session today?"