Matt, I love this post because you take some of the mystery out of giving effective feedback, which as we all know is difficult to do well and to evaluate. My favorite line in your post: "In other words, some feedback that led to actual change in teachers’ practice were the observations of what was going well. Teachers wanted to improve in the areas perceived by their principal as a strength." This is common sense. When we sense people (teachers, parents, friends) think we are doing a good job at something, we strive to do better. We work harder at learning. We've all read and heard stories of students who became writers, artists, and more because one teacher saw and commented on an observed strength/talent. Effective feedback requires a delicate dance--focusing on the process in a non-judgmental, encouraging manner.
Matt, I love this post because you take some of the mystery out of giving effective feedback, which as we all know is difficult to do well and to evaluate. My favorite line in your post: "In other words, some feedback that led to actual change in teachers’ practice were the observations of what was going well. Teachers wanted to improve in the areas perceived by their principal as a strength." This is common sense. When we sense people (teachers, parents, friends) think we are doing a good job at something, we strive to do better. We work harder at learning. We've all read and heard stories of students who became writers, artists, and more because one teacher saw and commented on an observed strength/talent. Effective feedback requires a delicate dance--focusing on the process in a non-judgmental, encouraging manner.