Transcript:

You’re listening to The Parents of Hardworking Teens Podcast, episode 95: All about draft feedback. Feedback on an assignment draft, a piece of coursework, formal assessment piece. Yes, draft feedback is an excellent opportunity to up-level and learn about how to achieve higher level criteria. But I've seen LOTS of instances where students feel confused, frustrated, or just downright annoyed by the feedback they receive (or sometimes lack of it).

So here are some reasons why this occurs, and what your teen can do about it.

Hey VIP’s! I hope you and your teens are fantastic. 
I am feeling a little bit feisty today because I’m going to talk about draft feedback. 
And this can be a little bit controversial if you didn’t know.

I’ve seen all sorts of issues with it. So much so that these days schools often produce a whole official document on what feedback is and isn’t when it should be given, how much, how it’s delivered… and more. And understandably so. Because I’ve seen huge variations when it comes to teacher feedback. Variations in how much feedback is given. Sometimes its loads of detailed annotations with observations and suggestions , and other times it’s simply a few ticks or underlines, with a simple two word comment at the end. Sometimes it’s returned the very next day and sometimes it can be over a week before feedback is returned. Sometimes it’s super-specific, other times it’s more general.
And sometimes it will vary in format - verbal or written, individual or given as a whole to the class.

Now, I will say from the outset, that back when I was a full time teacher I’m sure there were times when my feedback on drafts and assignments was not perfect. No-one is perfect and everyone can make mistakes or could do something better in hindsight. But I will say that I ALWAYS do my best to give the most appropriate, specific and detailed feedback possible.  And now that I get to do this on group coaching calls in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program and in 1-1 coaching sessions in Next Level Coaching, I get to go super-deep and detailed and not just in the midst of marking like 90 pieces, or according to school or department guidelines.

I will also caveat this episode with the fact that there are often parameters, guidelines and protocols to giving feedback within schools or within subject departments, and I’ll touch on this again a bit later, but teachers are often tied to certain amounts or types of feedback so that there is parity across all students and teachers. And that is something that your teen can’t really affect. But they can affect what that feedback is - maybe not the amount, or the type, but what it actually consists of and how useful it is - they can influence that.

This episode stems from SO many experiences I’ve seen or heard about with students. Now that I do relief teaching rather than full time teaching, as much as students can sometimes give substitute or supply teachers a hard time, what they ALSO often do is open up and share things that they wouldn’t to their full time teachers. 

I’ve heard ALL the complaining and issues about feedback from students about what has or hasn’t happened with their drafts or completed assessments and the feedback they’ve been given. Some of which I’ve felt are justified or have sympathised with, AND many of which I haven’t - which sometimes gently, sometimes bluntly, and always kindly explain. 

But even though I’ve had plenty of opportunities to consider this topic, I will say that this episode was actually triggered by a consult I recently had with a student and parent who filled me in a bit more on a History assignment they’d worked on with me in a Group Coaching Call while they were in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program. 

I didn’t know it during the coaching, but this student had actually already had feedback on their draft and the teacher had simply told them to correct a capital letter where they’d missed it or just made a typo. And this is a hardworking student who really wanted some valuable and actionable feedback to get the best mark they could. So they brought the task to a coaching call, and although, honestly I can’t remember exactly what feedback I gave, I can tell you it was not spelling, punctuation and grammar. And being a History assignment, it definitely would’ve been an analytical or evaluative piece and I definitely would’ve had PLENTY to comment on and feedback on with that - both positive things where they had done those things, and areas to improve to take them further. 

So, from student’s I’ve taught, students in lessons I cover today, those that I work with in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program and Next Level Coaching AND even back in the day as a student myself, what I see is that feedback on assignments, coursework and other assessments can lead to all sorts of frustrations from students and parents.

So, what I want to consider today is what IS and ISN’T being shared in the feedback your teen is getting and why it’s super-important to be aware of this. And what your teen can do in order to get the most relevant and useful feedback possible, that will actually help them improve the quality and criteria-matching content in their writing. So they receive feedback that’s super-constructive, not just stuff they could figure out or do for themselves. 

And that brings me to the point I really want to get across on this episode. 
It’s something I tell all students. 

They need to submit their best possible and as complete as possible piece of work for a draft.

And this is for two reasons. 

First official reason is because the teacher or marker can only provide feedback on what’s required to get to the next level of criteria or rung up the ladder. 
If the draft submission is currently at a C grade, they’ll give feedback to get it to a B. Maybe even just a C+ or B-.  If it’s at a D, the feedback is what’s needed to get to a C.
 

They WON’T be giving steps or requirements to get it to an A.
This is where I see students fall down. They do EVERYTHING that’s on the feedback, but then come out with a less than top result.

The second reason is that there is a possibility that the teacher is going to look for the most obvious and simple fixes to suggest. Either because, they actually are a little bit lazy. Yep, I said it. We all know it, just like in any profession, there are some lazy teachers out there. Just like there are some lazy lawyers, supermarket stock replenishers, mechanics, or veterinary surgeons. (My sister is a vet - I have heard some stories).

But also, let’s face it. Even if the teacher is the most dedicated, committed teacher in the world, if that teacher has just 2 classes, 60 pieces to mark, and the kids want them back by the next lesson, then even if they took just 10 minutes on each one, then that’s 600 minutes or 10 hours of marking. 
And therefore fast and obvious is the most doable option.

So, given this, I want students to not give their teacher, a fast or easy go of it!

Remember, I say this as a teacher. I used to tell this to my classes even when I was full time teaching. I would say, make sure you give in your best possible quality and content because then you get actually useful feedback, not stuff you already know you need to do. Make me really look for ways to improve. Don’t give me basic or easy options. 

I see so many students give in drafts with sections missing, and it makes it too easy for the teacher to then just give feedback saying well done - you’ve completed sections 1 and 2, - to improve you need to actually do section 3. I’m over-simplifying there, but also in some cases not.  Or, this is full of spelling and grammar mistakes: Improvement - proofread and correct SPAG. Spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Now, honestly, as a teacher I will always mark and give feedback on the parts that are actually complete too, because I can’t help myself. BUT, technically, if a teacher was just sticking to one or two things that would move this piece up the criteria, then actually completing all the parts would be one of them.

Like I say, yes there may be examples where your teen does do their very best, like the student I spoke with recently, and they still only get feedback on a random typo like - you need a capital letter here. That’s an issue you may or may not want to take up with the teacher or school (and unless it is otherwise getting full marks as it is - I would say you should!) But, if there is any part of the task that your teen knows they need to do, but hasn’t, Like ‘ I know I need a graph there, but I haven’t made it yet, or, I know I need to add a conclusion, but I ‘ll write that later, or, obviously I’ll proofread it, but I’ll do that at the end… then they need to do that BEFORE handing in their draft. Otherwise, they run the risk of getting feedback that tells them what they already know and they’ll have wasted the opportunity to get useful feedback that will actually move them up the marking criteria.

What they want is to get feedback they didn’t already know. Improvements they hadn’t been aware of. Elements they hadn’t realised they’d missed. Improvements or changes they wouldn’t or couldn’t have come up with themselves. 

And maybe this is part of the reason that simple or obvious feedback is given by some teachers.

In fact, I’ll say, I know it is.  Because yes, I talk to a lot of students and parents, BUT - I also talk to a lot of teachers. And, I can tell you, they will give the obvious or I’ll whisper it - lazy or basic type of feedback - when they feel that the student has been lazy in submitting the draft.

So, I hope that this open and honest reflection of things on this episode is worth it. 
I’m happy to tell things like they are - and especially if it will make an impact.
So, next time your teen is submitting a draft, PLEASE mention this to them. 
Especially if they have a teacher who they think doesn’t give great feedback - have them FORCE that teacher to work hard to find a high quality improvement, not a basic one.

Make sure they’re submitting their very best work, so the feedback they get is educational in itself - actually educates them in how to do better. Gives them something they didn’t already know. Gives them something that genuinely helps them improve the quality of their work AND their understanding of criteria and how to meet them.

Let me know if this has helped in any way. Or just tell me your tales of draft feedback if you like. I’m also happy to hear rants or just experiences. Support@rocksolidstudy.com is where to contact me. 

I always love to receive your stories, experiences and feedback. Have a wonderful rest of your week and I’ll catch you back here next week!