Balance being a ‘feedback giver’ with being a ‘feedback seeker’

We all know feedback is important and gives us direction when moving towards our goals. Sometimes, though, we can be so focused on being the givers of feedback in the classroom that we might find ourselves forgetting to place as much emphasis on being seekers of it.

Student feedback can provide us with a ‘goldmine’ of information about learners’ needs, desires, attitudes and concerns, while helping us adapt our approach in the classroom to strengthen relationships and learning. And it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simple, specific and direct questions are best, like the examples below:

Of course, the conditions under which feedback is sought and what happens afterwards are also important and bear further thinking about. For more information about these aspects of student feedback, see this article.