Giving praise and feedback

Feedback is defined by Wood (2007) as ‘the way in which learners become aware of the gap between their current level of knowledge or skill and the desired goal’

Effective feedback enables the student to gain insight into the gap between their performance and the desired standard. Without being given feedback the student may not be aware that this gap exists between their performance and the desired level.

Being given feedback on the gap between the student’s skills and the desired level can help the student to recognise their strengths and weaknesses and to facilitate the improvement of their performance. The aim of giving feedback is to help the student narrow the gap between their actual performance and the desired performance by illuminating their strengths and areas for development.

Key principles for giving feedback include:

Ensuring that the student is at the centre of the feedback process .
The feedback illuminates both the strengths and areas for development of the student.
The feedback is given regularly and timely.
Non- judgmental language is used – referencing to the behavior and not to the person.
Specific, easily understood language is used together with examples.
Feedback is given as a dialogue between the mentor and the student.
The feedback is given at the correct level and is both supportive and challenging.
The feedback is constructive and solution focused so the student understands what they need to do to improve their performance.

The way CLIL teachers evaluate their learners’ progress and give them feedback on their achievements influences how learners learn during lessons and when doing homework or preparing for tests. CLIL teachers can give feedback to encourage learners to work on developing their understanding of the content of the subject. They can also use these tools to encourage learners to pay attention to appropriate and accurate use of language in their subject. Here you have some examples of feedack in a CLIL Lesson.

Giving feedback

Giving praise

Praise is a powerful tool for educators. When used effectively in the classroom, it can increase the social and academic performance of students, as well as improve classroom climate. General praise can be reinforcing for some students, but the most powerful praise is specific to a student’s behavior.

To Give Effective Praise:

Make eye contact.
Move close to the student if it appears natural.
Smile.
Effective praise must be given with sincerity and enthusiasm.
Reward the student for obtaining a specific criterion: “It’s really good to see you have reached 60 points.”
It is important not to combine praise with criticism. To keep praise separate from criticism avoid using the word, "but" immediately after a compliment.
Link praise to specific student accomplishments: “That was a really good answer, thanks for not calling out.”
Convey to the student the value of the accomplishment: "Doing ...will make you achieve a grade A in the Tinity exam".
Attribute the success to the student's effort: “To produce work this good you must have spent hours on it in your own time. Well done.”
Give specific praise based on the type of result you wish to have:
- To Reinforce Behavior: Describe the behavior you want to reinforce telling how you feel about it with specific comments like, "Your thoughts were well organized in this essay," or "I liked your use of transitional phrases." Don't say this is a great paper. The younger the student, the more immediate the praise should be.
- To Raise Self Esteem: Tie this praise to some admirable personality characteristic. For example, you might say, "That was hard for you, but you kept going. You have great endurance," or "You are such a considerate person. People are lucky to have you as a friend."

Praise can also be inneffective if given the wrong way:

Delivering praise inconsistently. Praising one student for a particular action and not another.
The praise is bland and seems routine, for instance, praising students with the same phrase or term.
Praise is vague and doesn't specify the particulars of the student's accomplishment. “Good work, well done.”
Gives the student no information about the relevance of the accomplishment. “Well done on doing…”
Praise rewards simple participation and not achievement. “Thanks for joining in!”
Attributes success to ability, luck, or ease and encourages the student to perform the task for external gratification. “I don’t know how you produced work of that standard but if you’re lucky in the exam then you will get a really good grade.”
Implies future success for continued effort and encourages the student to perform the task because of intrinsic enjoyment. “Doesn’t it feel good having earned these grades? If you keep up the effort then you will be able to achieve more than you thought you could.”

Body language

Body language is said to convey around 55% of what we want to communicate. Look at this video analysing the good use of body language for getting stdents in and out the classroom and get them motivated and engaged in the lesson.