We’ve added a new category to the Blog called “Toolbox” (just click the drop-down menu in the Categories section on the right-hand side of the Home page to find it) to act as a repository for posts relating to the nuts-and-bolts of teaching. While these posts still appear, as normal, in the page timeline and can be keyword-searched, it should make it easier for teachers to find resources aimed at the mechanics of classroom teaching.
This, for example, includes things like lesson plans, knowledge organisers, revision materials and so forth, designed for teachers to take, use and adapt to their own particular circumstances and needs.
Although I’d been mulling this addition over for some time (the pace of change can be somewhat glacial – or, as we prefer to call it, considered – over at SCtv Towers) it was finally prompted by an example of a student feedback form posted on Twitter (unfortunately I forgot to note its source so I can’t give credit where it’s due. If you see and recognise your work, please let me know).
It struck me as simple, elegant and potentially very useful for both:
• students: they get an immediate, visual, indication of what they’ve done well and
• teachers: it’s a consistent and time-saving form of feedback.
I was impressed by the form and so decided to “make one of my own” based around the general principles indicated in the post. It’s more-or-less the same, although I’ve:
• removed a section on a student’s “predicted grade” and how effectively or otherwise they are working towards it (mainly because it’s not necessarily relevant for all schools).
• added a comment section where student and / or teacher can indicate what needs to be done to improve subsequent work. Although this is potentially very useful it might be time-consuming for teachers if they have a lot of students.
I was going to call this a “Simple Student Feedback Form” but then realised this makes it sound like a feedback form for simple students, whereas it’s actually just a simple way to give your students structured feedback quickly and effectively: when marking a piece of work the teacher simply highlights the relevant comment for whichever category and mark band the answer falls.
Anyway, I’ve created two versions of the form for you to download (or ignore as you see fit):
1. A completed form that includes mark bands.
2. A completed form without mark bands. You can use the annotation tools in Adobe Reader to add your own spread of marks for different types of assessment.