First Impressions
This is our number one top tip for improving everyone's writing. Here's how it works:
The class finishes their writing (whether it’s something they’ve done in class or for homework) and hand it in to you. You start with all 30 in a big pile. You’ve got six minutes to give everyone immediate feedback on what they’ve produced. We know, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. Won’t they all talk or get bored? Shouldn’t feedback be delivered quietly, in private, tailored to the individual? Won’t someone get upset if what they’ve produced isn’t up to scratch?
All potentially true, and if the feedback isn’t handled carefully then there is a danger that it could go a bit wrong. But you are going to do it well, with sensitivity and humour, so there’s nothing to worry about!
This type of feedback has four purposes:
1. At the most basic level, it makes sure everyone actually does the work. If everyone knows that what they have produced will be held up in front of the class and commented on, they are much more likely to do it and put some effort into it. Obviously you’re going to exercise some professional judgement here and the aim is not to embarrass or upset anyone, just to give them some very quick pointers on the basics.
2. You can get a pretty accurate picture of the basics. This means if someone's work is full of spelling mistakes and you know they can spell them; if someone isn’t writing in sentences or is missing out words; or if someone has produced something really untidy, you can deal with it here in ten seconds. They can then do something about this before you get your hands on it to mark properly. This means your written comments are much more likely to comment on misconceptions, language use, higher-level writing skills and you’ll spend much less time on secretarial matters.
3. You get a good idea of the things it might be worth teaching to the class again. A big pile of stories mostly with dodgy dialogue- ok, teach it again. Lots of confused tenses? A lesson on that then. All the characters have been named after wrestlers from WWE and the each of the ‘stories’ is just a really long, really detailed fight? Well, you’re probably teaching a group of Y4 boys.
4. You can quickly assess who’s going to need your support with this work. Rather than planning who you’re going to work with before the lesson has even started, you can assess whether there’s anyone who needs your (or another adult’s) support desperately. You can choose to help someone who’s genuinely struggling or you can chose to support a small group with extending their work.
One-to-One Feedback
Sharing Work
Peer Assessment
Written Feedback
The class finishes their writing (whether it’s something they’ve done in class or for homework) and hand it in to you. You start with all 30 in a big pile. You’ve got six minutes to give everyone immediate feedback on what they’ve produced. We know, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. Won’t they all talk or get bored? Shouldn’t feedback be delivered quietly, in private, tailored to the individual? Won’t someone get upset if what they’ve produced isn’t up to scratch?
All potentially true, and if the feedback isn’t handled carefully then there is a danger that it could go a bit wrong. But you are going to do it well, with sensitivity and humour, so there’s nothing to worry about!
This type of feedback has four purposes:
1. At the most basic level, it makes sure everyone actually does the work. If everyone knows that what they have produced will be held up in front of the class and commented on, they are much more likely to do it and put some effort into it. Obviously you’re going to exercise some professional judgement here and the aim is not to embarrass or upset anyone, just to give them some very quick pointers on the basics.
2. You can get a pretty accurate picture of the basics. This means if someone's work is full of spelling mistakes and you know they can spell them; if someone isn’t writing in sentences or is missing out words; or if someone has produced something really untidy, you can deal with it here in ten seconds. They can then do something about this before you get your hands on it to mark properly. This means your written comments are much more likely to comment on misconceptions, language use, higher-level writing skills and you’ll spend much less time on secretarial matters.
3. You get a good idea of the things it might be worth teaching to the class again. A big pile of stories mostly with dodgy dialogue- ok, teach it again. Lots of confused tenses? A lesson on that then. All the characters have been named after wrestlers from WWE and the each of the ‘stories’ is just a really long, really detailed fight? Well, you’re probably teaching a group of Y4 boys.
4. You can quickly assess who’s going to need your support with this work. Rather than planning who you’re going to work with before the lesson has even started, you can assess whether there’s anyone who needs your (or another adult’s) support desperately. You can choose to help someone who’s genuinely struggling or you can chose to support a small group with extending their work.
One-to-One Feedback
Sharing Work
Peer Assessment
Written Feedback
