The power of
feedback
ABC Feedback
Simple strategy to make effective use of oral feedback
and discussion within the classroom
A stands for ‘Agree with…’
B stands for ‘Build upon…’
C stands for ‘Challenge…’
For example: ‘Dan, Mairi has given us a definition for
irradiation – do you want to A, B or C?’
Stripped back feedback
This aims to save time for the teacher whilst making
the students work harder and think more actively
about their feedback
Colour-code your feedback or use key symbols with
an appropriate key
You want your students to struggle a little and think
harder
For example: Work colour-coded red means work
out how to improve
Good stress
Research shows that if we perceive that the stress we are
feeling will negatively impact our health, then it can
increase the risk of premature death by 43 per cent1.
Put simply, if you think stress can be positive, then you can
reduce your chances of a stress-related death.
We need to better interpret our physical responses to stress
and respond positively.
I’m about to speak to a packed out lecture theatre – my
heart is pounding (that’s just my heart working to get that
essential blood around my body), I’m breathing faster (that’s
just my lungs working with my heart to get that essential
oxygen to my brain so that I can think more clearly)
1. Keller et al. (2012), Health Psychology, 31(5): 677-684.
So-called "good stress," or what psychologists refer to as
"eustress," (the prefix ‘eu’ from the Greek meaning ‘good’)
the type of stress we feel when we feel excited.
The right amount of stress helps us better at our jobs.
The verb ‘stress’ means ‘give particular emphasis or
importance to (a point, statement, or idea)’
It is this physical and emotional ‘emphasis’ that we need
to help us prioritise what we do.
Question: Do you work well to deadlines or struggle to
sleep the night before a staff presentation? If the answer
is YES, then you are actively creating low levels of
eustress to work effectively.
A moderate amount of stress is required for peak performance
Optimum
performance
Boredom
Anxiety
More positives
– the hormone oxytocin is produced when we are stressed.
• Oxytocin helps us relate to others and boosts are
capacity for empathy – it makes us more SOCIAL.
• Oxytocin is a stress response telling our body to speak
to others and to share our emotions.
• Managing negative stress is about building resilience,
connecting with others and developing good team
work that provides support for ourselves and our
colleagues.
Therefore being, or becoming, a
confident teacher can typically prove
to be a collective experience.