Peer Feedback in the Classroom

Empowering Students to Be the Experts

Starr Sackstein

• Publisher: ASCD
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781416623663
• eBook ISBN: 9781416624196
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Teaching Methods

In Peer Feedback in the Classroom, National Board Certified Teacher Starr Sackstein explores the powerful role peer feedback can play in learning and teaching. Peer feedback gives students control over their learning, increases their engagement and self-awareness as learners, and frees up the teacher to provide targeted support where it's needed.

Drawing from the author's successful classroom practices, this compelling book will help you

• Gain a deeper understanding of what meaningful feedback looks like and how it can be used as a tool for learning.
• Establish a respectful, student-led learning environment that supports risk taking and honest sharing.
• Teach students to be adept peer strategists who can pinpoint areas of needed growth and move forward with specific strategies for improvement.
• Develop cooperative student expert groups to help sustain effective peer feedback throughout the year.
• Use technology to enhance collaboration, streamline the learning and revision process, and strengthen students' digital citizenship skills.

The book also includes extended reflections that express, in students' and teachers' own words, the approach's powerful effect on their practice. Invite students to be your partners in learning, and enrich your collective classroom experience.

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Part 1

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The Power of Feedback

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Chapter 1

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The Rationale for Teaching Students to Provide Peer Feedback

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For too long, learners have been robbed of opportunities to exercise agency in their own learning. The traditional system that sets students up as subordinates to the teacher in the room makes it nearly impossible for them to truly own their learning. In this paradigm, the teacher is the one who has the power to issue strategies and feedback while the students are stuck waiting for the teacher to provide it. Unfortunately, in classrooms that usually contain one teacher to at least 20 students, students often have a long wait.

Imagine how the dynamic would change if we empowered all of the students in the room to provide meaningful feedback. Students would no longer need to wait passively to learn but be able to take responsibility for and actively move forward in their own learning process. This chapter explores why we should give students a greater role in their own learning—and the elements that need to be in place to do so.

Peer Feedback Empowers Students to Be Experts

Every student has the potential to be an expert. Our first job in the classroom is to get to know our students so that we can identify and expand on their strengths, in the process empowering and teaching them to be effective peer experts. Every content area or topic offers different opportunities for students to shine. By giving students the responsibility to share their expertise with one another, we are engaging them in the highest level of learning: asking them to teach. This mode of teaching and learning also naturally differentiates the learning because each student brings his or her own perspective, ideas, and preferences. Students see firsthand that there's no single "right" way to learn or teach.

There is no longer a need for teachers to be the only experts in the room. In fact, with the plethora of resources available online, the way we learn has changed so much that it isn't uncommon for students to know more about certain topics than teachers do. This fact shouldn't be threatening but exciting, as it opens up new opportunities for students and teachers to learn together.

Let's say a student in your class has a particular aptitude for technology and created a beautiful project using iMovie or Prezi. As a teacher, you were blown away by the artistry of the final project, but you feel ill equipped to teach other students to use the tool. Rather than freak out or force yourself through a crash course, why not ask that student to lead a Lunch and Learn session or even a class lesson on the technology? Empower the student to share his or her expertise for the benefit of the whole. Everyone wins, and students grow to see their teacher as a person who is open to suggestions—a stark contrast to the traditional role of the teacher.

This shift isn't necessarily easy or instantaneous. In fact, just as it can be difficult for teachers to cede control, students may find it hard to take control. To create a classroom of experts, you'll need to instill qualities of independence and self-advocacy in your students, a cumulative process that takes time to yield results.

Building Independence

Empowering students as experts means that they need to gain some control of their learning. The traditional education system tends to break down natural curiosity, training students to behave and learn in a way that prioritizes what's best for teachers over what's best for kids. Often, teachers control too much in the classroom, rendering students paralyzed and struggling to generate their own inquiry.

By contrast, cultivating an atmosphere that encourages "failing forward"—that is, one that sees mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than as closed-ended failures—increases students' engagement and awareness of their strengths and challenges and opens up endless opportunities for students and teachers alike to grow. Such an environment builds trust in and enthusiasm for the entire learning process rather than just the topic of the moment. It makes learning exciting by opening it up to infinite possibilities.

By creating classroom cultures that embody these qualities, educators can develop confident risk takers who are interested in innovation and in developing their own minds in ways that work for them. By cultivating individual growth in addition to covering content, teachers can give students the chance to follow their ideas and collaborate without fear of retribution or failure.

Developing Self-Advocacy

With a growing culture of independence, educators also need to instill in students a sense of self-advocacy—that they must know themselves and push to get their needs met in the ways that work best for them. This doesn't lessen the importance of the teacher's role, although some may see it that way; on the contrary, teachers are more important than ever in this context. They will be addressing students' specific needs whenever they arise rather than delivering wholesale, one-size-fits-all instruction.

Self-advocacy skills can be taught, and they should be as soon as students enter school in kindergarten. Along with questioning in general, these are crucial skills that will serve students well throughout their lives. As advocates for their own learning, students should know when they need help and how to get it. The teacher's role is to be receptive by providing help in ways that meet students' individual learning preferences. Thus, the teacher's goal is twofold: first to make sure that students can articulate their needs and then to try to meet those needs to the best of his or her ability.

Peer Feedback Fosters Growth

Because feedback is a reciprocal process, only a truly self-aware student can effectively evaluate peers and provide feedback. The relationship between the giver and the receiver of feedback develops both students as learners, helping them become more astute judges of their own learning. Asking the right questions, sharing information, identifying challenges, and providing strategies all work together to deepen students' mastery.

Traditionally, the teacher has been the sought-after expert in the classroom, the only person capable of providing students with the feedback they need. If we shift our mindset, we realize that we have many experts in the room who can help peers along in their learning. We can teach students to ask clarifying questions or point out inconsistencies, but the really important part is teaching the student who is asking for help to be specific in what he or she is looking to gain from the feedback.

One of my students reflected that asking her peers for help was a great way to grow:

While working on this assignment, I was able to complete some of the following skill levels. During the week, we were asked to partner up with a peer and peer-review each other's plays. This skill allowed me to develop my honesty and understanding of what others can write and how others see my work. By sending someone else my play and reading theirs, I was able to get some new ideas off of them, and they pointed out my mistakes.

Giving students this responsibility is not without its pitfalls. Students don't always step up to the challenge and may falter in their ability to help their peers. There can be many reasons for this, but it often comes down to one of two things: a lack of individual student agency or interest or unclear expectations and follow-through from the teacher. Understanding where the breakdown happened and then finding a solution for the particular problem is important. The feedback process isn't designed to happen in a vacuum; the challenges that arise can actually strengthen students' learning, collaboration, and leadership skills. In the following section, a student recalls the sometimes messy experience of being editor-in-chief of her high school newspaper.

Three years ago, as a high school senior, I was given the honor of being the editor-in-chief of the Blazer. During this vital transition from one stage of my life to a much bigger one, being on the newspaper staff motivated me to have a voice. Not only was I able to improve the precision of my writing, but I also published articles on topics I found interesting, strengthened my ability to give constructive criticism, and learned the value of collaboration.

As editor-in-chief, I had the privilege of forming an everlasting bond with my adviser. The idea was for her to take a hands-off approach to allow student leaders to develop their skills, but without her assistance, I would not have learned how to give good feedback or be a good leader. No one wants to hear that their work is subpar, but there's a gentle and effective approach to addressing ways of improvement. I chose to hold one-on-one meetings as often as possible because I found in-person communication to be more genuine and sensitive. This technique also allowed me to listen to other writers and improved my confidence in actually being heard. It's easier to dismiss a digital comment than one given directly.

As with any team project, creative disagreement sometimes arose. In one instance, a reporter questioned my leadership abilities and ignored my feedback. At first, I was angry with this staff member. I found his opinion audacious, especially because it was never directly expressed to me. Conflict is intimidating. I was unsure how to fix the dissatisfaction in a productive way but felt it my responsibility as a leader to do something. Taking a step back to analyze the situation, I concluded that this was not something I had to do alone and that I shouldn't allow another's words to hurt my confidence in my abilities. My adviser's confidence in me and support during and after the incident encouraged resolution, which we reached after several heartfelt discussions. Although this also meant the resignation of the staff member, moving forward, the remainder of the team and I had more open communication.

Despite my leadership role, I was not the holder of all knowledge. I was a student, just like my peers, and I believe that this conflict showed them that my priority was growth, not power. Teamwork is a leadership skill; it kept me grounded during a time when my ego could easily have become inflated by my position as editor-in-chief.

My role as a leader did not come to an end when I walked across the stage at graduation. Now nearing the end of my junior year of college, I have held a Resident Assistant position for three semesters and will be returning as an RA next year. This role requires leadership, collaborative, and organizational skills and entails conflict and time management, completion of administrative tasks, and more. During my initial interview, I was asked to discuss a time when I resolved a team conflict, and I passionately explained the above instance. I may not have earned the position solely because of my background in collaboration and conflict resolution, but I definitely would not be where I am today without my experience at the Blazer.

Academically, I have been complimented on my writing style. Professors have commented on my "effective rule breaking," and I believe this stems from needing to be concise as a journalist. I've been unafraid to approach professors with questions about their comments in large part because of the practice the newspaper provided. In addition, I feel confident in participating in peer review because the process truly does enhance the end piece. Feedback doesn't necessarily have to be a scary thing. It can be given with the best intentions and creates a great opportunity for growth.

—Deborah Kosnar

Deborah's story is not an uncommon one. When teachers allow students to resolve conflicts and take control of situations, they grow in ways both intended and unintended, making the classroom a richer, more meaningful place to learn. To create such a dynamic learning space, however, the classroom must provide a safe, supportive culture in which students feel free to take risks and fail—a topic explored in Chapter 2.

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Reflection Questions

1. What changes would you need to make to allow students to take the necessary risks in your class?
2. What are some unintended consequences of growth, and how can you build on them in the future?
3. If you're not seeing student leadership emerging in your classes, what are the biggest roadblocks?

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Chapter 2

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Developing a Supportive Classroom Culture

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Incorporating peer feedback into your classroom isn't as simple as saying, "Today, we are going to give each other feedback." A classroom is like a playground for learning: if we want kids to play nicely, we have to develop a welcoming, respectful learning environment that supports risk taking and honest sharing. Students must first feel comfortable enough to share their work and then gain confidence to provide feedback to others. For deeper learning to happen, every choice we make should support the dynamic we seek to nurture.

This chapter explores how to create an environment of mutual respect and support—by building rapport and respect, establishing rituals and routines, celebrating success and failure, and letting students take the lead—and shares real-life examples of what student-led learning environments look like.

Building Rapport and Respect

At the beginning of the year, make it a priority to develop a rapport with students by finding out about their outside interests and offering opportunities for them to share what matters to them. Developing a rapport also means giving yourself the chance to be more human to students. You can start by sharing things about your own school experiences or family. There's no need to open up beyond your comfort zone, but when students see us as whole people, they are more inclined to open up to us and one another.

Developing a respectful classroom culture is not as easy as the warm and fuzzy sharing of experiences, although that is a fine start. Teachers need to safeguard student pride and ensure that the classroom is as free of negative judgment as possible. It isn't acceptable for students to say nasty things to one another or make fun of something they don't understand. It takes vigilance to make sure that all voices are being heard and respected in all classroom activities and situations. Respect can't be assumed; it must be taught explicitly and modeled continuously. Because students tend to follow our lead, the best way to elicit high-quality, respectful feedback is to start modeling these behaviors from day one. If we want students to respect one another, we in turn should be respectful when speaking to students, handling conflicts, and addressing multiple perspectives. Some ideas for getting started include

• Holding open forums to invite student voices and suggestions on all kinds of topics and issues that affect the learning environment, ranging from classroom management to project feedback to grouping. Students can share ideas in a class discussion or meeting, contribute comments anonymously, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword by Jill Berkowicz
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Part 1. The Power of Feedback
• Part 2. Introducing Students to Feedback
• Part 3. The Nuts and Bolts of Peer Feedback
• Final Thoughts
• Bibliography
• Study Guide
• Related ASCD Resources
• About the Author
• Copyright