Informative Feedback

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Formative feedback is crucial in our elementary classrooms, yet is rarely utilized effectively. Feedback techniques have been limited due to a storm of educational changes and unclear expectations despite the affect on students. Teachers face the challenge of consistently providing students with relevant, instructive feedback to further their motivation and growth. Meaningful feedback such as this is an essential part of a successful classroom (Marzano, 2010). Students are more motivated to learn when they receive positive, informative feedback. A study found elementary math students to be more motivated when they received positive evaluative feedback (Rakoczy, Klieme, Burgermeister, Harks, 2008). Think of it as a road trip towards success. When students are given the correct instructions or directions to further their understanding they are more likely to move towards the learning target. …show more content…
When students are given little directive feedback or instruction they feel lost. Feeling lost can lead students to feeling unsuccessful or incompetent. Carol Dweck, an expert in the implementation and application of a growth mindset, believes that giving students the right feedback is important (Dweck, 2006). Students must be given praise and encouragement for their learning. However, Dweck points out the importance of affirming students in the most effective way. Teachers must focus on student’s effort, persistence, self-direction, or strategy rather than, affirming students by recognizing how smart they are. This praise will help lead the student to forming a growth mindset. A growth mindset is essential for students to be motivated to take on challenges, see learning as a process, and value hard work as a tool to be