Is email feedback a waste of time?

Teacher chat on social media is at its best when there is healthy discussion around how best we can do our job, grounded in mutual respect. That doesn’t mean an echo-chamber in which we all congratulate each other on what a marvellous job we’re doing, rather that there is a discourse which pushes our thinking,

Feedback should improve the teacher, not the lesson

A challenge that sometimes presents itself when giving feedback to students is that their work is already of a pretty high standard, and it feels like we’re really nitpicking with our improvement points. The reality is that what they’ve produced is probably already near the top of the mark bands, and one or two small

I haven’t got time

I haven’t got time. It’s a familiar refrain and I doubt there’s a teacher out there who hasn’t said or thought this. I know I have. The more I’ve really unpacked what effective teaching looks like, the more I’ve come to realise that to do it really properly takes more time than I have available.

Observation feedback: time to accentuate the positive

Earlier in my career I was observed teaching a lesson by my Head of Department. I don’t remember what grade I was given (and, given the reliability of lesson grading, let’s be honest it really doesn’t make much difference) and there will have been some strengths highlighted alongside points to improve. I do remember some